Guide to Africa Outsourcing: Locations, Salaries, and Number of Programmers
Many foreign companies are outsourcing to Africa primarily due to their rapidly expanding economies and affordable labor costs. And even though Africa outsourcing may be carried out with the dubious intention of locating cheap labor, it may benefit individuals in these emerging economies. Numerous African nations compete in global outsourcing markets.
Kenya and Nigeria, for instance, rely on the absence of jet lag, cultural similarity, linguistic proximity, and quality infrastructure to export business and IT services primarily to UK and US clients. When you want to outsource software developers in Africa, you get a great employee and help the economy grow. IT outsourcing also benefits Africa by reducing youth unemployment and underemployment and promoting economic expansion. Our guide will help you to get more significant insights about outsourcing in Africa.
Software Outsourcing in Africa: Fact and Numbers
Software outsourcing in Africa has a lot to offer its clients. Technology-related services include everything from expert product design and management to straightforward tasks like data labeling. Many services, such as website and app development, content creation and writing services, transcription, IT support, SEO optimization, data entry and database management, call center services, and data labeling, are possible if you consider outsourcing to Africa. Africa is the world’s fastest-growing continent for software development.
Major tech giants like Microsoft and Google offer programming courses and mentorship programs that will further expand the tech talent pool in Africa. These services can be obtained through freelance networks that connect freelancers with potential clients and through continent-wide outsourcing companies.
When we say that outsourcing in Africa gets you a significant talent pool, we are not exaggerating. Let’s take a closer look at how many software developers are there in Africa compared to the general population.
| Location | Population | Number of IT Specialists | Number of IT Specialists in % |
| South Africa | 60,000,000 | 133,195 | 0.22 |
| Ghana | 33,475,870 | 20,551 | 0,61 |
| Nigeria | 213,000,000 | 114,536 | 0,53 |
| Kenya | 54,027,487 | 58,866 | 0,10 |
| Cameroon | 27,914,536 | 7,748 | 0,02 |
As you can see, compared to the population the number of software engineers is relatively tiny, but the number keeps growing and developing.
Outsourcing in South Africa
For global clients, South Africa is currently one of the most promising outsourcing destinations. In just a few short years, it has been able to compete with top destinations like India and the Philippines as an emerging African nation. Additionally, South Africa now has the third-largest economy in the African continent, next to Nigeria and Egypt. How many software developers in South Africa? There are over 133,195 software developers. You can get a highly skilled and affordable workforce by outsourcing to South Africa. You can access a highly skilled workforce at a fraction of the cost in countries like South Africa, where many people are overqualified and unable to find work.
On a steady-state operating basis (including overheads), outsourcing to South Africa offers significant cost savings of at least 40 to 45% to source countries like the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. With savings of nearly 50%, South Africa as a BPO destination also offers a viable and long-term solution to the difficulties and costs of recruiting, training, and equipment. So, when you hire software developers in South Africa, you get a wide range of services without breaking the budget.
Additionally, many outsourcing companies in South Africa are ready to provide your company with multiple benefits.
As outsourcing is booming in this region – new IT specialists keep appearing. Let’s take a closer look at how the number of software developers has changed compared to 2017 and 2023.
| Number of IT specialists in 2017 | Number of IT specialists in 2023 | Increase in % |
| 90,000 | 133,195 | 47% |
How much do software developers earn in South Africa? We calculated the annual wage of South African software developers based on popular salaries platforms. We have chosen the most popular technologies, usually in the highest demand worldwide. Here you can see developer salary South Africa per year of their job.
| Technology | Salary |
| Angular | $25,000 |
| Java | $24,000 |
| JavaScript | $22,000 |
| Python | $27,000 |
| PHP | $29,140 |
| C# | $24,400 |
| C++ | $24,500 |
| SQL | $37,800 |
| Magento | $22,190 |
| Node.js | $37,000 |
| Scala | $35,200 |
| Salesforce | $38,000 |
| Unity | $33,200 |
| Unreal | $35,000 |
| IOS | $22,000 |
| Android | $20,000 |
| Rust | $32,500 |
| Elixir | $40,000 |
| DevOps | $36,000 |
| QA | $32,000 |
| Tech Support | $18,000 |
As you can see, in South Africa, one of the highest rates for software engineers compared to other African regions. Software developers South Africa earn on average from $25,000 to $37,000 annually, based on technology.
The highest rates among web developers in South Africa for such technologies as Elixir, DevOps, and Salesforce. And it is not surprising as such technologies are well-developed in South Africa, and the specialists from there are in high demand.
As for app developers in South Africa, their rates are much lower compared to other technologies and countries. You can hire an app developer specialized in Android or IOS development for $20,000-$22,000 yearly.
Outsourcing to Nigeria
Outsourcing to Nigeria is an excellent choice if you want a fast-growing, prospective location with a well-educated tech specialist. Nigeria has the strategic advantage of being the seventh most populous nation in the world. Software developers in Nigeria are primarily educated, English-speaking youth population, allowing for rapid economic expansion. Nigeria has the potential to become the world’s BPO capital for some reasons, including these characteristics.
Outsourcing companies in Nigeria provide high-value inbound and outbound services to large telecom, insurance, banking, medical, non-profit, software, and other professional services in Europe, Africa, Japan, and the United States. The ease of doing business in Nigeria, supported by effective regulation, is another factor that increases outsourcing and outstaffing opportunities. Getting in touch with outsourcing services in Nigeria and starting your own is now adequately covered, as are other related topics.
| Number of IT specialists in 2017 | Number of IT specialists in 2023 | Increase in % |
| 80,300 | 114,536 | 42,64% |
So, how much do software developers earn in Nigeria? We have collected the yearly wages for software developers from Africa based on the technology with the highest demand.
| Technology | Salary |
| Angular | $17,800 |
| Java | $30,000 |
| JavaScript | $25,500 |
| Python | $26,600 |
| PHP | $17,400 |
| C# | $21,000 |
| C++ | $20,700 |
| SQL | $19,800 |
| Magento | $20,700 |
| Node.js | $20,000 |
| Scala | $25,000 |
| Salesforce | $32,000 |
| Unity | $20,000 |
| Unreal | $21,300 |
| IOS | $28,700 |
| Android | $28,000 |
| Rust | $30,000 |
| Elixir | $35,000 |
| DevOps | $37,000 |
| QA | $24,600 |
| Tech Support | $16,500 |
As you can see, on average web developers in Nigeria earn around $20,000-$35,000 yearly based on technology.
App developers in Nigeria can make about $30,000 per year.
Staff Outsourcing in Kenya
Outsourcing in Kenya is a prospective way to expand and grow your business. Kenya is three hours ahead of Europe in terms of time (nearshore location), so when they outsource work there, they can have it completed and returned to them before the business closes. It’s also practical because our work hours are almost identical, so we can respond immediately to questions. Kenya web developers are skilled, hard-working, and diligent. They are focused on working for foreign countries and are easily adjusted to new working conditions and corporate culture.
Thanks to its fiber connectivity, Kenya is in a prime position to acquire a share of the international offshore outsourcing market. The quality of communication services, including the internet, which the government has ensured takes center stage in the nation’s Vision 2030, is the primary driver for BPO.
| Number of IT specialists in 2017 | Number of IT specialists in 2023 | Increase in % |
| 30,000 | 58,866 | 96.22% |
There are over 58,866 software developers in Kenya, which is doubled compared to 5 years ago. As a result, you receive a young, motivated tech workforce ready to work on your project. What about salaries?
Let’s see what the average software developer salary in Kenya per year:
| Technology | Salary |
| Angular | $18,000 |
| Java | $18,000 |
| JavaScript | $19,500 |
| Python | $16,300 |
| PHP | $19,000 |
| C# | $17,600 |
| C++ | $18,600 |
| SQL | $23,000 |
| Magento | $17,500 |
| Node.js | $16,000 |
| Scala | $20,000 |
| Salesforce | $20,000 |
| Unity | $19,000 |
| Unreal | $21,500 |
| IOS | $14,400 |
| Android | $12,000 |
| Rust | $28,000 |
| Elixir | $32,000 |
| DevOps | $21,200 |
| QA | $20,000 |
| Tech Support | $10,000 |
Web developers in Kenya usually earn from $15,000 to $32,000 based on technology. Compared to South Africa and Nigeria, web developer salary in Kenya is more attractive for companies to hire.
Outsourcing to Ghana
Africa outsourcing has continued to grow in Ghana as a result of the changing business landscape, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies in Ghana continue to embrace outsourcing as a business solution increasingly. To enable them to focus on their core businesses while achieving improved efficiency, cost savings, and access to better infrastructure. From information technology and telecommunications to the banking, accounting services, and oil and gas sectors.
Additionally, outsourcing in Africa, primarily Ghana, is significant for mobile and app development. The sharing and outsourcing of infrastructure among mobile operators is an essential trend in telecommunications outsourcing. Economic logic and the government’s regulatory pressure on telecom operators to reduce the unnecessary duplication of towers and their associated infrastructure accelerated this development, which began slowly.
So if you would like to outsource software developers in Africa, Ghana is a fast-growing IT hub with a massive increase of software developers over the past five years. Let’s see how the numbers have changed from 2017 to 2023:
| Number of IT specialists in 2017 | Number of IT specialists in 2023 | Increase in % |
| 11,000 | 20,551 | 86.83% |
So, now let’s take a look at how much software engineers earn in Ghana per year of their work:
| Technology | Salary |
| Angular | $5,500 |
| Java | $6,000 |
| JavaScript | $6,900 |
| Python | $10,000 |
| PHP | $5,800 |
| C# | $6,800 |
| C++ | $7,000 |
| SQL | $10,000 |
| Magento | $8,000 |
| Node.js | $9,000 |
| Scala | $12,000 |
| Salesforce | $12,000 |
| Unity | $9,000 |
| Unreal | $10,000 |
| IOS | $8,500 |
| Android | $6,000 |
| Rust | $12,600 |
| Elixir | $14,000 |
| DevOps | $10,000 |
| QA | $9,600 |
| Tech Support | $5,000 |
Outsourcing to Africa, namely in Ghana is a popular destination for hiring developers due to the affordability of the tech workforce compared to other regions.
Outsourcing to Cameroon
Cameroon is a central African country that surrounds the Atlantic Ocean. The country’s official languages are French and English, and it is known for being difficult to start a business there. Setting up your payroll in Cameroon while also trying to hire employees, provide benefits and compensation, and set up a subsidiary is one challenge. However, if you are cooperating with a professional service company, Africa outsourcing will bring only benefits to your business with zero headaches.
Compared to other African regions, Cameroon has the smallest number of IT specialists, but compared to 2017 – it has the most significant increase of software developers.
| Number of IT specialists in 2017 | Number of IT specialists in 2023 | Increase in % |
| 3,000 | 7,748 | 133.33% |
It is crucial to mention that outsourcing in Africa, namely in Cameroon, is one of the most affordable destinations. Let’s see what the average yearly wage of software engineers in Cameroon:
| Technology | Salary |
| Angular | $3,000 |
| Java | $5,000 |
| JavaScript | $4,400 |
| Python | $5,700 |
| PHP | $7,000 |
| C# | $3,000 |
| C++ | $3,500 |
| SQL | $4,300 |
| Magento | $8,000 |
| Node.js | $6,500 |
| Scala | $9,000 |
| Salesforce | $6,300 |
| Unity | $6,400 |
| Unreal | $5,000 |
| IOS | $4,900 |
| Android | $3,700 |
| Rust | $9,500 |
| Elixir | $10,000 |
| DevOps | $6,900 |
| QA | $7,400 |
| Tech Support | $4,300 |
As you can see, Cameroon is the cheapest destination as far as Africa outsourcing is concerned.
Final Thoughts
Outsourcing to Africa could sound unpredictable and unusual. When discussing software outsourcing, we don’t consider Afrcia a tech hub. But Qubit Labs is opening new opportunities for you to expand your business with the best tech talent.
Africa is a vast territory with a great business environment, a young and skillful tech workforce, and attractive salaries.
