There is so much talent in Africa across all professions and over the past few years more jobs have gained popularity and grown in demand. Some have been around for decades and have been consistently preferred by a large number of people while a few have risen in the ranks and are fast becoming popular.
These are the 7 most popular jobs in Africa in 2022:
Software developer
The demand for software developer jobs increased by 22% between January and February 2021 due to the global economic crisis and the pandemic. However, the transition to a more digitized process created a gap in software professionals, especially in a remote capacity.
According to Africa News, South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt are the leading countries on the continent in terms of talent.
Sales representative
Sales are one of the oldest professions in the world, meaning it has stood the test of time because there will always be businesses that need people to sell their services or products. In addition, sales representatives facilitate the most profits within a company, and the demand for this job has seen an increase of 19% since December 2020.
Team leader/supervisor
Much like sales representatives, the role of team leader or supervisor will always be a vital part of any company. A team leader/supervisor ensures the smooth implementation and delegation of tasks.
There is an ongoing need to fill this role within every company, with employees usually working their way up to positions of seniority.
Business developer and manager
Agriculture is an essential and increasingly growing part of Africa, supplying food on a subsistence and trade level. According to Britannica, this sector provides two-thirds of the continent's working class with employment and roughly 30% of the value of exports.
Business development managers are constantly sought after as they generate new sales leads, negotiate client pricing, and forecast sales revenue.
Infrastructure engineers and architects
African architecture is known for its vast diversity. Each country creates distinct architects that compete on a global scale. In addition, infrastructure in Africa constantly goes through urbanization. However, one unique factor of African architecture is the blend of traditional methods with new styles.
New up-and-coming architects in Africa are always ready to showcase their skills and creativity.
Mining engineers
Mining, much like agriculture, is one of the most prominent activities in Africa. Many regions are best known for their natural resources, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
The University of Witwatersrand in South Africa ranks 10th on Edurank's list of the world's best universities for mining engineering.
Brand managers and marketers
The rise of social media has created a plethora of new professions over the last decade. Brands have incorporated digital marketing to reach wider audiences through search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), e-Commerce marketing, etc.
The role of marketers has also shifted from traditional expectations to what we know now as influencer marketing. However, with these new implementations, traditional marketing is still a necessity; therefore is still one of the most popular professions on the continent.