Andela and the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) have unveiled a groundbreaking partnership to train over 20,000 Africans in cloud-native technologies, a strategic response to the growing demand for cloud-native professionals globally. The initiative, launching in 2025, aims to equip participants with Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate (KCNA) and Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD) certifications, recognised as benchmarks for expertise in cloud-native ecosystems.
The training will be delivered at no cost, with participants completing the program in six to nine months. Andela will select trainees from its expansive talent marketplace, which comprises over 150,000 tech professionals, predominantly from Africa. This move aligns with a broader goal to address the estimated 7.5 million unfilled cloud positions worldwide by 2025. By focusing on Africa’s burgeoning developer population, the program seeks to unlock significant employment opportunities while addressing the global tech talent deficit.
The partnership reflects Africa’s increasing significance in the global tech ecosystem. The continent boasts the fastest-growing population of developers, with 38% of African software professionals working remotely for international companies, as noted in the Google Africa Developer Ecosystem Report. This trend has created an urgent need for advanced skills in cloud-native technologies, enabling African developers to compete on a global stage.
Clyde Seepersad, of the Linux Foundation Education, emphasised the importance of this partnership in diversifying access to critical certifications and training. By bridging affordability gaps—historically, 81% of developers cited cost as a barrier—this initiative ensures that underrepresented groups gain vital skills for lucrative roles in the tech industry.
This initiative also underscores the potential for African talent to reshape the global cloud-native landscape. With a curriculum designed by CNCF, participants will gain the skills to build, deploy, and manage scalable applications across public and hybrid cloud environments. Furthermore, the collaboration between Andela, known for its AI-powered talent platform, and CNCF, which drives open-source cloud innovations, is a testament to the power of partnerships in overcoming skill gaps.
Carrol Chang, Andela’s CEO, articulated the broader vision, stating, “This collaboration not only enhances job opportunities but positions Africa as a vital hub in solving the global tech shortage.” This partnership builds on Andela’s history of collaborating with tech giants like Google and AWS, ensuring the initiative’s success will have far-reaching effects for both African professionals and the global cloud-native workforce.
