New digital jobs: The trends in Africa
The digital transformation of society does not spare Africa. In various countries of the continent we are witnessing changes of all kinds. This is due to the rise of the digital economy. States and the private sector are getting involved and we are seeing hitherto unknown jobs appear. Professions are developing and new ones are appearing. “All companies now need staff who help them adapt to digital to strengthen their position in their sector of activity”, recently wrote the ESCEN in France. This reference school in digital economy offers 7 professions of the future in the sector of the digital economy which guarantee to easily find the first job for people who want to position themselves in innovation.
1 – Jobs related to data protection
The digital economy is beginning to gain prominence in African countries. All companies have had to adapt to comply. All information technologies use personal data which has become extremely valuable and therefore needs to be protected.
All companies, regardless of their business models, must comply with data protection rules. Both large companies and international organizations hire full-time people to ensure data protection, while smaller companies use external consultants who can work freelance or in private practices.
The positions concern technicians, but also lawyers who must prevent disputes and settle them if necessary.
2 – Artificial Intelligence jobs
According to the ESCEN article, “we are only at the beginning of the exploitation of artificial intelligence”. For a company, accelerating its digital transition is accompanied by processes that allow automation and advanced exploitation of digital. This sector is not yet really developed in Africa. Countries like Egypt and South Africa are beginning to set the tone, however. Morocco, Nigeria, Kenya and Rwanda also have research institutes in the field.
Players in the digital economy need technicians capable of developing artificial intelligence. Developers, researchers, architects and engineers work to produce more sustainable and efficient economic growth. They are supported by project managers and consultants. There is therefore room for development in this sector and training must adapt to it.
Indeed, for these highly skilled professions, new skills must be acquired to succeed in imagining the world of tomorrow. It is not enough to be a technician, but the creative aspect is just as important. To integrate this aspect of the digital economy, you need very advanced technical training in applied mathematics, data analysis and computer programming.
3 – Blockchain jobs
Blockchain is about the technology for storing and transmitting information. These are therefore professions that are related to personal data and their protection. Since we are coming to an increasingly digitized society, it is logical that security professions are multiplying.
These are technical positions that require solid skills. Many sensitive sectors recruit people who are able to ensure their daily security, but also to build systems adapted to each company. This is why training courses aimed at training architects and consultants in the field of blockchain are multiplying.
The banking sector is very demanding, as are the distribution, medical or energy sectors, as well as all those who process sensitive data. Cloud services are there to support more dynamic economic activity and need specialists to protect their data.
4 – Robotics jobs
The robotics professions are recruiting in droves, especially in developed economies. The profile of the candidates is very technical. The automotive and aeronautic sectors of activity are the most demanding, but they are not the only ones. Wherever the robot can relieve human tasks, research is developing: health, energy, industry, agriculture, rail, petrochemicals, industry, naval, etc. It should be noted that jobs related to the robotization of medical devices and surgical robotics are booming.
The digital economy of robotics professions needs designers, but also pilots for these extremely sophisticated and very expensive machines.
5 – Drones and connected objects specialists
Drones and connected objects affect both professionals and t individuals. Drones have a fun use, but are also becoming valuable assets for farmers and industrialists. In the same way, connected objects make it possible to capture, store and process data.
These sectors recruit designers, engineers, technicians, pilots and salespeople to develop this niche. Many young people are passionate about these professions and universities on the continent are adapting their courses to them. This is especially the case with business schools.
In this sector of the digital economy, we must also consider the army, which includes increasingly sophisticated equipment in its strategic tools. Drones and connected objects are used for surveillance, but also for attack. The defense and armament professions require very high-level technical knowledge, as well as an unparalleled creative spirit. The challenge is to always be ahead and outperform the technological innovations of the adversaries, which creates an endless race. With security challenges related to violent extremism and terrorism in some regions, specializations in the field will lead to well-paying jobs.
6 – Community management experts
The digital economy needs information and communication specialists who master social networks and are able to keep pace with their evolution. It is a new branch of marketing that is in vogue everywhere in Africa.
Community management consists of taking charge of a brand and promoting it, making it visible and acting as facilitators to create synergy around it. It is important to develop your community, encourage it to get involved, like and share, and make it progress constantly, while creating privileged links between the company and its followers.
The profession of community manager is recent in our countries. Social networks exploded recently and we had to adapt to this new economy that is starting up. The community manager is not a technician, although he must know the inner workings to understand how to advance the company he works for.
He can work within a large company or as a freelancer or agency, which allows him to diversify his missions.
7 – SEO jobs
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) jobs , whether natural or paid, are increasingly essential in the digital economy. Any business needs professionals who know all aspects of a website for it to stand out among its competitors. For this constantly changing profession, companies are ready to bet quite big, because the stakes are high.
Kaleta, which is at the forefront of promoting jobs in the field of innovation and technology, will allow candidates in the various professions to position themselves and be detected by organizations and recruiters on our platform.
Source: ESCEN
