Stuttgart, 03\/09\/2025: In the current edition of the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Magazin Wirtschaft, Prof. Dr. Stefan Liebing has authored a guest article that looks at the recruitment of IT specialists from Africa as a possible solution to the acute shortage of skilled workers in Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The article is based on the results of a joint event organized by the ReThinking Africa Foundation<\/a> and the Stuttgart Chamber of Commerce and Industry<\/a> in July this year. The aim was to take a realistic look at the potential of African skilled workers for German companies. The initiative follows on from the presentation of the Africa Leadership Award at HANNOVER MESSE 2025<\/a>, which honored innovative companies in the IT sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skills shortage in Germany, opportunities in Africa<\/strong> The German government has recognized this development and signed initial migration agreements, for example with Kenya. These are intended to make it easier for African skilled workers to gain a foothold in Germany. For companies, this opens up the opportunity to attract urgently needed talent and thus secure their digital competitiveness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Challenges and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises<\/strong> The conditions are often better than expected: well-educated graduates, modern 5G mobile networks, and a young, digitally affine population. Challenges such as bureaucracy and cultural differences remain, but the advantages are increasingly outweighing them. For small and medium-sized enterprises, outsourcing in Africa not only opens up access to skilled workers, but also to new markets and growth opportunities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Liebing emphasizes that stronger cooperation between German and African IT ecosystems can not only help solve the shortage of skilled workers, but also stimulate sustainable economic growth on both continents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Germany currently has a shortage of around 150,000 IT specialists. Small and medium-sized enterprises are particularly affected by this bottleneck. At the same time, dynamic ecosystems are emerging in Africa: countries such as Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria are training tens of thousands of programmers every year and creating an environment that attracts start-ups and international investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to traditional labor migration, an alternative model is gaining in importance: German companies are going directly to Africa. They are setting up branches or cooperating with local IT companies to implement projects on site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n