A widening digital skills gap could put up to 230 million African jobs at risk by 2030 if urgent action is not taken, according to a new report by Intreensic, a payments education and advisory firm.
The report warns that the shortage of skilled digital professionals is slowing Africa's transition to a tech-driven economy and threatening inclusive growth, particularly for young people and small businesses hoping to tap into digital opportunities.
Speaking on Arise News' Global Business Report, Nkebet Mesele, Founder and CEO of Intreensic, said Africa faces a crisis of capacity.
"We have the roles. What we don't have are the skilled professionals to fill them," Mesele said. "Without urgent investment in practical, specialised training, Africa risks missing a generational opportunity to lead in global digital finance."
She noted that while African fintech companies like Flutterwave, Paystack, and Interswitch have gained global attention, the ecosystem risks stalling without the right talent to sustain innovation.
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The World Economic Forum identifies fintech engineers, AI and machine learning experts, and software developers among the fastest-growing global roles. But many African countries lag in providing accessible, industry-aligned training for these jobs.
To bridge this gap, Intreensic is delivering payments and fintech-focused courses via its digital learning platform, which already serves learners in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. The platform offers flexible, real-world training modules designed to meet the current and future needs of the digital economy.
Mesele added that the company plans to scale its impact by launching local operations in more African markets.
"Innovation without talent is unsustainable," she said. "If Africa wants to own its digital future, we must prioritise specialised education at scale."
