elev8, a leading partner in global digital skilling and transformative education initiatives for enterprises and governments, has appointed Dr. Rutendo Hwindingwi as its new Regional Director for Africa. Dr. Rutendo is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has over 25 years of experience in the technology and consulting industry.
"I am thrilled to have joined elev8 and champion global skilling in Africa. Africa has long been referred to as the new frontier for global investment and development. The Fourth Industrial Revolution has created the opportunity to empower individuals and organizations from all socioeconomic levels and nations to embrace converging technologies to create an inclusive, human-centered future. elev8 has gone through a two-year maturation process with good outcomes in Nigeria. Our goal will be to take all that learning and bring it to the rest of Africa, helping other governments and businesses progress their digital transformation, change management, and talent development programs", said Rutendo Hwindingwi, Regional Director of elev8 for Africa.
elev8 seeks to strengthen its presence in the whole continent, particularly in markets such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Rwanda. Currently, elev8 education works hand in hand with global companies from all sectors to train more professionals in technology areas. In addition, it develops robust employability projects to raise the potential of countries through strategic alliances with governments, business chambers, and investment promoters.
By 2050, Africa's population of 25 to 59 years old, known as the primary working-age population, will reach one billion. According to Francois Pelletier, the head of the UN's population estimates and predictions branch, "this indicates a doubling of its share of world population workforce from 12 to 23 %.
This is encouraging news, as the African startup economy is outpacing the world economy.
However, as African countries' digital ecosystems continue to develop rapidly, startups and other tech-dependent organizations on the continent continue to suffer a scarcity of tech talent and a shortage of information about how to foster those capabilities.
In Nigeria, for example, elev8 is working hand in hand with Microsoft ATO and has launched a career progression program aimed at training unemployed graduates in areas such as Software Development.
In addition, elev8 maintains an active collaboration with Amazon Web Services program to provide people without technical backgrounds with skills related to cloud support, a field with high labor demand in the region.
Globally, elev8 continues its positioning in Costa Rica, betting on reskilling initiatives and executive programs that seek to boost the digital transformation of the Central American nation. In the Middle East, elev8 is working with Qatar's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to turn this region into a highly competitive center of innovation and talent.
"We are very pleased to add Rutendo to our management team. His extensive experience in the technology sector will be an excellent contribution to our company's current vision of expansion," said María Balbás, President of elev8 education. elev8 education has trained more than 4000 professionals from all industries. Its offer includes upskilling and reskilling projects, executive programs, and specialized courses in data science, cybersecurity, and cloud.
