The War For Software Developers In Kenya ~ George Njuguna, CIO, Safaricom PLC

[@rufusnganga1118]

Am a software Engineer and love what am hearing George on the payment & talent management, because we work a lot but in Kenya most Software Engineers don't get paid for the value of their work. That's why there are many freelancers.

[@evansgitonga3046]

I have realised that we are doing alot but pesa ni kidogo sana

[@kamauwaweru4991]

@@evansgitonga3046 Solve this by developing SAAS products

[@converge40]

Software Engineering in Kenya needs to be relooked. We have very good software engineers in Kenya and I feel they are not being recognized or appreciated well in Kenya.That''s why most software engineers are opting to work for companies outside Kenya or abroad because that's where they feel they are being appreciated.

[@katoragashua]

I really enjoyed this session. Mr. George really hit all points well. I'm a Frontend Engineer from Nigeria who intends to go full-stack and am currently learning Node JS and Python.

[@davien001]

Same here, Nigerian self-taught for 6 months, learning react right now while doing frontend mentor projects, will make a proper portfolio at the end of the year hopefully.

[@josephkoech1985]

Welcome to Python community.

[@mwanafalsafa3613]

Share your learning experiences and key study materials

[@johnmaina4500]

@@davien001 Let's link and share ideas

[@Ninanihuyo]

In 2024 I'll shake George's hand and tell him he inspired a young 20 year old me.

[@OcholaTheCreator]

tuko macho almost one year to go

[@Itsomanga]

@@Ninanihuyo I affirm your wish. May it be so. 🌹

[@naturewrld615]

You gonna win it bro.. don't forget Blockchain technology.

[@kikie.esther]

One month to go

[@vitayaboy]

Have shaken his hand just yet

[@OjowiLaura]

Amazing insights. ALX chap here i hope that more youngsters get exposure to the tech industry

[@emmanuelkibe9361]

Did you graduate from ALX

[@dijitekst254]

I am a self-taught software engineer and I would say that that is the best decision I ever made career-wise. I however dont work for Kenyan companies, they pay developers rubbish.

[@davieskamanda6622]

Is there good money in se?

[@dijitekst254]

@@davieskamanda6622 What do you think is 'good money?' give a range'

[@davieskamanda6622]

Can you make like 300 a month or more freelancing?

[@biltriq2332]

Hello @Simon's Tech School which platform are you using to freelance

[@dijitekst254]

@@davieskamanda6622 The short answer is yes.

[@d.a.kariuki]

I've interacted with some of Safaricom's software engineers & they are indeed brilliant. Bravo to the company!

[@ceazarmianoh6500]

Uongo

[@mwanafalsafa3613]

@@ceazarmianoh6500 wewe uza mboga kwa kibana na ulale hii story haikuhusu

[@Alanilei]

​@@mwanafalsafa3613unaelekea kwa kibanda! And you'll come back to this comment and cry!

[@basil1921]

Am an upcoming developer and based on what you have spelt out mr George am motivated...I will congratulate you for this by 2024

[@martinfreeman6227]

How i wish someone like George would be the kind of people heading govt ministries, just imagine how far and fast we would progress.....just imagine....

[@esthergeorge5398]

True because he is absolutely brilliant

[@jamesndiga1813]

Very good conversation, but we also need to give credit to the multinationals in terms of the investments they have made in talent development before setting shop here. Companies have been beneficiaries of that talent as well and there is still on-going program to continue developing talent.

[@shemkipruto4394]

This is a good talk on the tech space in Kenya. The mzee is also hilarious 😂😂. He needs his rating upped.

[@lusarshameli7057]

To get proper into software you have to be able to lean by yourself. A lecturer cannot make you a software engineer.

[@peternyabuto577]

TRUE

[@masymboya611]

which websites did you use to learn am learning frontend first but it is hard to find the right website

[@masymboya611]

@@blakpearlthmvmnt4535 yeah but ni hard coz ikona izo quiz tu alafu its like uelewi chenye unafanya i think napreffer kitu ikona notes pia naelewa better hivo

[@masymboya611]

@@blakpearlthmvmnt4535 asanti unaitanga kila mtu bro lakini? inasound weird or maybe its because i dont talk to people alot.

[@DH-rf3nd]

@@masymboya611 KZbin

[@wecanwork]

The truth is local software developers are severely underpaid, as soon as a new player decides to hire local talent, even remotely, you will lose talent.

[@ellabella9104]

Mr. George inspired me. I will ensure I do something big and I'll remind him of the day he was in studio. There's much to improve on in how Kenya handles Tech. The key area mentioned is: How the developers are treated in terms of pay and exposure to more skills. This is just a fraction of it. There's a backdrop to becoming a developer. In the learning stage, some upcoming talent also needs to be natured. KZbin is a tool that can be used. A lot of content is posted and if well used can be very beneficial. There are young brains with passion but no particular direction on where to start and how to navigate.

[@njugunakamau4668]

Great to hear.

[@willgeo]

I wish we had talks like this in Uganda.

[@faustinechisasa9696]

Insightful of you George Njuguna. Clear vision, outreach, enablement and incentive minded.

[@georgebaraza9141]

Some good insights here from George. I'm an aspiring software developer in Kenya. Coming from an Actuarial Science background, digitalizing the Finance/Insurance industry triggered the passion to penetrate into the Tech space. For that reason, I took the Front-end Development route with this being my fourth month into it. Currently halfway learning React as a JavaScript library with the hope of securing an internship position to hone my craft in a real tech environment before the end of the year. Hopefully, Safaricom PLC would accommodate my skillset and invest in it.

[@HezOmanjo]

The worst thing a developer can dream about is working for a corporate.

[@Dekut_tech_makers]

very true indeed

[@simonnjuguna9923]

Please Kenyans, protect your idea before sharing with any company. You can combine both utility model and copy right protection, then share your idea with any tech company. Software theft is real.

[@MusicLyf4]

Ideas are useless and you cannot protect ideas

[@hughjanus1942]

@@MusicLyf4 this is hilariously wrong

[@petermunyasi1119]

Good to know that Safaricom now has a reward scheme that is balanced for both techies and managers. We all don't need to scale our careers through management path

[@Harry-zm9fk]

Impacting skills and increasing remunerations keeps Safaricom steps ahead. How I wish every organizations in Kenya could take this up and view it as building on human resource rather than costly and downtime in production.

[@peslacai]

George is eloquent and knowledgeable on what he’s talking about. But unfortunately Safaricom kills innovations and wants to dominate the market, the talent they talk about is only for their own consumption and they’re afraid of competition.

[@hlomphophenduka735]

This is a wonderful interview indeed, huge respect for George, Safaricom, and Spice FM crew. As a software engineer in Lesotho at a Telco I'm extremely motivated, Thanks

[@amediTechWizard]

Very good talk this was. The part of outsourcing IT expertise into Kenya never really seated well with me, like we really have good developers and IT skilled people in the country and no need for outsourcing.

[@renymark2657]

The University Education system in the country is Broken. For Software Devs, Major thing they do is Teach themselves These skills...

[@blessingtshuma403]

I speak for other (not all) African countries, we sing the same song bud

[@mrrobot-mn6re]

Its NOT, your university will never teach you everything, thats why tech is not for everyone, you have to study for yourself in IT

[@wambuikingatua3820]

Their curriculum does not in any way match what is needed in the market today, Safaricom and other such organizations can help these universities and colleges with developing their curriculums to reflect the market trends. Otherwise mass production of graduates who are unemployable because they do not have the right skills is deplorable. One has spent thousands of shillings in fees and 4 years in UNI to come out and realize they learnt very little and have to go back and acquire skills required in the job market.

[@ycee4]

You have to don't be silly and easy to be allulate by money . passion and consistency is needed

[@ezekielakintunde4816]

You have really inspired me in this conversation george Njuguna, I have had to listen to this multiple times.

[@duncansakwa1184]

Am listening to this conversation, George is very Knowledgeable ..GOK should have a sit down with guy.

[@kamauthiongo7710]

Amazing conversation, George. Great to see the Tech scene in Nairobi vibrant as ever.

[@ericnyamu9981]

Let them shine.they have been sat on for so long! Big corp fighting for your talent must feel really good. 💪💪💪

[@nkimandi]

One of the most illuminative conversations ever for me...up there with prof lukoye atwolis last one

[@tre8759]

Safaricom taking the right steps to support local developers but there is still a lot of room for improvement

[@victormwangi9332]

am a software engineering student at baraton university am happy of what am hearing ,any advice for me before I get into the job market

[@ericndivo4054]

I`m a developer, establish a good connection with freelancers before you can think about getting a fulltime job.

[@Lista001]

Heeey soldier

[@lameckk8657]

@@ericndivo4054 How do I get to meet freelancers??

[@briangitonga7049]

@@ericndivo4054 what skill set do i need to be a developer?

[@ericndivo4054]

@@briangitonga7049 Depends on your ability but generally be creative

[@doublem8135]

very interesting conversation! eye opening and breathe of fresh air from the nauseating politics we are accustomed to! kudos George and Spice FM

[@winniekirimi6478]

Am just not okay the way you limit the digital program to undergrads only. What about the people who are advanced in age and are looking for skilling or evolving or change career to software engineering. You just need exposure.

[@kelvinrose6714]

I agree with you on this.

[@michi.m]

But u can sponsor yourself or use materials cheaply or freely available. Moringa, coursera, udemy, google, youtube etc are easily available.

[@panic_seller]

I wanted to be a software engineer, but looking at the pay vs what I do, compared it with what other jobs do vs their pay and I QUIT, people getting paid good money just for talking, others just for memory, and Devs in Kenya who actually use their brain don't get paid enough

[@Dj-Pixxy]

am a high school graduate looking to pursue the same course,,,would you kindly advice me

[@dunstmainha]

kwani on average watu hulipwa pesa ngapi? Am a form 4 leaver and im thinking into getting into this stuff

[@mrrobot-mn6re]

IT inataka passion mzee, pesa is the reward we get for our Passion..weka pesa mbele and you will drop it

[@Alex_Murimi]

😊💯3 months later and still enjoying the tech

[@pilotjoe1291]

A game changer points,vgotten from this discussion. I really feel we need to be doing something about the Software Development on our own - our own school and stuff.

[@jacktonewambui8683]

Good to hear the first person I had a chat with on linkedin

[@edwinkaris9602]

@5:21 on setting up dial up,on hearing this sound like a cat being strangled..hahah it actually sounds like that

[@EMKFirms]

I think if my fellow developers leave for google, microsoft and AWS then they should leave with a mission to bench mark and uplift our local companies that how we will have a healthy competition of this international companies

[@Kinuthya]

Those 3 tech companies you’ve mentioned already fired thousands of their software engineers and most of the are foreign with work visas sema anxiety

[@rickymurithi]

Just had a career change and upgrade into tech, informative and inspiring.

[@engineeringsolutions5699]

Such a witty guest.Amazing insights

[@rhinahirina4038]

Impressive. George is such a vibe.

[@KingKing_777]

Thanks for this insightful discussion Spice Fm team!

[@theoneyoulove-bi4li]

i am taking a course in SE and i am happy to hear this

[@JnMasher]

Send yourself proper. (Jitume). Our campuses are full of crap and only you can save yourself. All the best bro!

[@Jumanji_Dev]

Thumbs Up👍, SpiceFm, as a Software Dev, I really loved ❤the discussion...

[@raymondtomno2968]

Quite insightful wow

[@gmchats5335]

U must mean insightful

[@martinfreeman6227]

Very informative session

[@salomegithinji4565]

Big data,machine learning and artificial intelligence 😅😅 me in my cv

[@kevinmutai5729]

An interesting talk but hardware is still more relevant than software TODAY, especially in communications a la Safaricom. Apart from the simple reason that without hardware there is no software, there is intensive research into the physical layer (hardware) to enable next generation communication (5G, 6G). The unfortunate part is the global south lags behind this field owing to the requirement for expensive equipment and extensive technical capacity to make meaningful contributions which means that the global south will continue to be dependent on the north for communications hardware. It is no secret that most of the continent's service providers like Safaricom are dependent on hardware sourced from Huawei, Nokia or Ericsson in all areas of their infrastructure from the access network (antennas) to the core network (routing). So all this talk about software is akin to taking the credit for a fresh coat of paint on a car whose engine you bought from someone else.

[@brianmutiso1003]

Hardware can't work without software, from firmware, drivers to high level software programs, every hardware device needs software to run

[@s.k634]

You are right . China is strong in hardware while India is strong in hardware but which one do we hear is doing well ? focusing on software makes you build on top of the American software stack and which can be turned off at a will . Hardware has more impact on the economy and creates real jobs unlike software .Compare the economic footprint of a router manufacturing company and an app ..smh

[@AnthonyNgugi-u1p]

These are the kind of leaders we should have in kenya

[@ekimbangola]

Great interview. Keep on the good work

[@Moyopheus]

Great interview, will be looking the Safaricom initiatives closer.

[@Itsomanga]

Awesome conversation. 🌹

[@c.muguro]

Would love to know how much his renumeration is...

[@blaxbrian6877]

I am an emerging autodidactic JavaScript developer, poised to make my mark in the realm of programming.

[@oneito947]

Most people can't pay for the advance on skill training for on job experience. Even my small. Company has upskilled multiple graduate and they have gone to companies paying them more than our monthly turnover

[@johnkamau3442]

Great,I'm a developer as well hard to get this opportunities in Kenya

[@big_brayo]

Amazing how she doesn't smile......at all🤔🤔🤔😂

[@thendong4821]

Do you train and hire form 4 leavers

[@monicawairimu108]

Insightful message

[@abuyaombasa3363]

Awesome insight

[@danielmugambi901]

Great conversation.

[@thendong4821]

I want to join but I don't have money

[@Dj-Pixxy]

am a high school graduate looking to pursue the same course,,,would you kindly advice me so as to make a wise decision pliz,,,which would be the best computer related course to pursue

[@iam_Mayuba]

If you believe you have the wits, join an online forum for SE, like ALX which is absolutely free and start going

[@iAmSavvi]

@@afarajob3070 computer science

[@chagavah]

George is very articulate

[@OsungaOkello]

The old man has spoken the truth. 😊

[@Rons847]

Top notch conversations that are future focused.

[@bobFranck-wq5mz]

How do you get in touch with these safaricom community

[@stuartmaleka]

insightful

[@iammasambu]

amazing video

[@kelvinkamau9083]

Good conversation here... I would like to know George take on coding amidst the 'ChatGPT' era.

[@oneito947]

Its getting harder and harder to actually hire developers locally for smaller companies because we dont have the kind of venture capital funds that us and uk companies have.

[@johnkamau3442]

true and even getting a job for Software Developers,you will need alot of connections

[@extusmutanda5389]

U need skillset relevant enough to kick u off in the industry instead.

[@IslasPilipinas]

interested topic

[@medrinebaraka6992]

Asking if George can mentor ?

[@josephmgift]

😅Woah, paying someone to make you an app. I'm glad you did it yourself. 😎😎

[@Politicopulsetvsh]

👍

[@geoffreyngugi9941]

CT dealt a proper upper cut early on

[@RagwarNoble]

These guys who never went to school for Software Engineering build terrible software, they endanger the public ….!

[@kevinfred]

Software is dead.

[@SILASMUIGAI]

Also another place to get the best developers in Kenya try "The JITU Ltd"

[@LectureHubKe]

I agree