According to the latest forecasts, Africa’s population is set to double in size by 2050, taking it to around 2.5 billion, which will also increase the need for more employment: around 25 million new jobs are needed per year. On top of this, the Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating the situation on Africa’s job market. Investment is therefore urgently needed in order to create jobs and give local people prospects for the future.
This is where the Special Initiative on Training and Job Creation by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) comes in: Since mid-2018, it has been supporting German, European and African companies seeking to get involved in Africa. Its objective is to foster effective job growth. Under the Invest for Jobs brand, the Special Initiative offers contacts, comprehensive advice and financial support via its implementing organisation to overcome investment barriers. This creates genuine win-win situations: business opportunities for companies as well as valuable jobs and apprenticeships in our African partner countries.
One of the Special Initiative’s focal points is the digital services sector. And due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this sector’s importance is growing even more: not only have highly digitalised economic sectors proven especially resilient to the crisis, the demand for digital services has grown tangibly as a result of the pandemic.
How can jobs and apprenticeships be created in Africa‘s digital services sector? What measures have proven particularly successful and where do the biggest challenges lie? How can existing jobs be secured during the Covid-19 pandemic? These and other questions will be at the core of the online discussion to which the BMZ and the German Africa Foundation cordially invite you.
Programme:
Welcome speech: Dr Uschi Eid, President of the German Africa Foundation
Discussion:
Martin Hecker, Founder and CEO of AmaliTech gGmbH and the Digital Skills Accelerator Africa e. V.
Martin Jäger, State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Juliana Rotich, Tech entrepreneur and German Africa Award winner 2019
Amel Saidane, President of TunisianStartups and Co-Founder of BetaCube and Digital2Value
Admassu Tadesse, Group Managing Director of the Eastern and Southern African Trade Development Bank
Closing remark: David Schwake, Secretary General of the German Africa Foundation
Moderation: Sabine Odhiambo, Dep. Secretary General of the German Africa Foundation