Let's start with a number that should make you uncomfortable: 60% of the global workforce will need significant re-skilling by 2027, according to the World Economic Forum. Now apply that to a continent where 830 million young people will enter the workforce by 2050, where only 40% of the population actively uses the internet, and where only 10% to 15% of youth have ever received structured digital skills training.
That's not a workforce challenge. That's a structural crisis hiding inside a demographic goldmine.
The IFC projects 230 million digital-related jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Those jobs will require everything from basic digital literacy to advanced platform administration. But here's what nobody is talking about: there is no established playbook for who trains that workforce, what platforms they learn on, or which companies get to shape the standards.
That vacuum is the opportunity.
The RiseUp Model and What It Gets Right
ServiceNow's RiseUp program was built to close what the company calls the "opportunity gap," not just the skills gap. Since its launch, RiseUp has trained over a million people globally. In 2026, it expanded into Africa with a targeted cohort for young people aged 18 to 30 in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. The program is free, runs 10 weeks full-time, and prepares participants for certifications like the Certified System Administrator (CSA) and Certified Application Developer (CAD).
What makes RiseUp interesting isn't just the technical curriculum. It's also the emphasis on "power skills"—the competencies employers across Africa consistently cite as missing in young graduates.
- Critical thinking
- Interpersonal communication
- Creativity
But RiseUp alone cannot fill a canyon this wide. Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa are three countries on a continent of 54. The program reaches hundreds or perhaps thousands of participants per cohort. The demand is measured in the tens of millions.
Where Consulting Partners Must Step In
This is where the math gets interesting for firms like ours: every ServiceNow implementation in Africa will need local talent. The platform can't scale on a continent without people who know how to run it.
- Administrators who understand the platform
- Developers who can customize workflows
- Architects who can design systems that work within the constraints of local infrastructure
At Nykoma, we've spent years working at the intersection of ServiceNow and higher education. We know what it takes to build talent inside institutions that don't have the luxury of massive IT budgets. African universities and technical colleges—TVET institutions across the continent—are perfectly positioned to become ServiceNow training hubs if someone is willing to help them get there.
The Smart Africa Digital Academy is already working to train thousands of civil servants and young professionals across the continent. Google's Digital Skills for Africa initiative has reached over 10 million young people. These programs prove the appetite is there. What's missing is a bridge between general digital literacy and platform-specific expertise that leads directly to employment.
ServiceNow could be that bridge. And the partners who help build it will own the relationship for decades.
The Gender Dimension Nobody Can Afford to Ignore
The Africa Youth Employment Outlook 2026 puts a stark number on the table: young women make up 61% of youth not in employment, education, or training across the continent. Among women outside the labor force, 28% cite unpaid care responsibilities. For men, it's 3%.
Any ServiceNow skills program that doesn't intentionally design for women's participation will miss the majority of available talent. This requires:
- Flexible program structures that work for different schedules
- Childcare considerations (direct support or partnerships)
- Active recruitment of women into technical tracks
The Real Competitive Advantage
Here's what becomes clear in these conversations: the firms that move first into African ServiceNow markets won't just win contracts. They'll shape the ecosystem.
- Set the training standards
- Define implementation methodologies
- Build the professional networks that later entrants will have to work around
That's not a first-mover advantage. That's a category-creation advantage. And the window is open right now.
Nya Akoma. Take Heart.