global workforce, the study finds that these skills are undersupplied globally and most particularly in Africa. The study finds that supply of digitally-skilled labor in Sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana must increase to meet anticipated market needs or Africa’s economies will falter. Around 80 percent of industry participants interviewed believe that an undersupply in digital skills would hamper expected economic growth, and nearly 20 percent of Ghanaian companies surveyed recruit only internationally for digital skills, largely because they cannot find skilled local talent.
IFC and its partner made a call to action at the launch of the report, urging that, the private sector must play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges in digital skills. This challenge can be met through proven models with potential to scale and to offer lessons to other innovative providers willing to make inroads in the space. Digital skills must also be integrated throughout education, including at a foundational level in schools, with the public sector playing a pivotal role. Teaching digital skills is not only a business opportunity, but a chance to reconceive the future of work across the continent.
