MTN believes technology can help bridge that gap. The telecommunications giant has launched an AI-powered Job Board through its MTN Skills Academy, designed to connect young Africans with employment opportunities while identifying the skills they need to compete in the digital economy. The platform combines job matching, career guidance and skills development in a single ecosystem, moving beyond the traditional job board model.
Africa’s youth paradox
The launch comes at a critical moment.
More than 60% of Africa’s population is under the age of 25, making it the youngest continent in the world. Yet youth unemployment and underemployment remain among the biggest barriers to economic development. At the same time, the International Finance Corporation estimates that more than 230 million jobs in sub-Saharan Africa will require digital skills by 2030.
This creates what many economists describe as a skills mismatch. Employers are looking for digital competencies in areas such as data analytics, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and software development, while many young people struggle to access the training and information needed to enter these fields.
The result is a paradox. Businesses report skills shortages while millions of young people remain unemployed.
More than a job search platform
What makes MTN’s initiative notable is that it attempts to tackle both sides of the problem simultaneously.
Rather than simply displaying vacancies, the platform analyses a user’s skills, career goals and location before recommending suitable opportunities. If a candidate lacks certain qualifications, the system identifies those gaps and suggests free courses available through the MTN Skills Academy. Users can also track applications through various stages, from submission to interviews and job offers.
In essence, the platform functions as both a career adviser and a training guide.
This approach reflects a growing global trend. Increasingly, the most successful employment platforms are not those that merely connect employers and job seekers, but those that help workers become more employable in the first place.
Why this matters for Africa
The significance of the initiative extends beyond MTN.
Africa’s digital economy is expected to become one of the continent’s most important growth drivers over the next decade. Governments, development institutions and private companies are investing heavily in digital transformation, fintech, artificial intelligence and technology-enabled services. Yet these sectors cannot grow without skilled workers.
The challenge is particularly important because traditional employment models are changing. The jobs of the future are likely to require continuous learning rather than a single qualification obtained early in life.
This is where platforms like MTN’s could prove valuable. By linking training directly to labour market demand, they help reduce the disconnect between education and employment.
The concept is not entirely new. Similar digital employment platforms have emerged in countries such as Kenya and Nigeria, but MTN’s advantage lies in its scale and reach. With operations across multiple African markets and hundreds of thousands of learners already enrolled on its Skills Academy, the company has access to a large pool of potential job seekers.
The bigger challenge remains
While the platform is a positive step, it is not a silver bullet.
Africa’s employment challenge is ultimately about more than matching people to jobs. It is also about creating enough jobs in the first place. Digital platforms can improve access to opportunities, but they cannot fully compensate for slow economic growth, weak infrastructure or limited private-sector expansion.
The continent still faces significant barriers to building a competitive digital economy, including uneven internet access, high data costs and gaps in digital infrastructure. Studies continue to highlight the need for greater investment in connectivity, education and technological capacity if Africa is to fully benefit from the AI revolution.
Connecting skills to opportunity
Despite these challenges, MTN’s new platform represents an important shift in thinking.
For years, discussions about youth unemployment focused largely on education or job creation as separate issues. Increasingly, policymakers and businesses are recognising that the real challenge lies in connecting the two.
The success of Africa’s digital economy will depend not only on how many young people gain new skills, but whether those skills translate into meaningful employment. By linking learning directly to opportunity, MTN is attempting to address one of the weakest links in the continent’s labour market.
In a region where millions of young people are searching for a pathway into the modern economy, that connection may prove just as valuable as the technology itself.
*Dr Iqbal Survé
Past chairman of the BRICS Business Council and co-chairman of the BRICS Media Forum and the BRNN
*Sesona Mdlokovana
Associate at BRICS+ Consulting Group
Africa Specialist
**The Views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Independent Media or IOL.
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