Africa has a lot of potentials, and its time not only to talk about it but harness it. That means creating the right opportunities for the continent to put its best foot forward. One of the areas that need attention is employment, especially when it comes to the youth. The lack of job opportunities might be holding Africa back from showcasing what it has to offer.
However, with the industriousness of the people can be said that there is light at the end of the tunnel. And with the various governments and stakeholders willing to take strides to enhance the quality of life of its people, there’s an ongoing conversation about the best way forward.
Africa’s Employment Issue
Africa has a large population of use at the moment, and the numbers are expected to grow even more. This seems to create a problem with unemployment since the last numbers do not match the number of opportunities in the job market. On top of that, the traditional employment structure does not seem to favour most of the youth in terms of wages and the required experience. The African youth are, therefore, either stuck doing nothing, going back to school, or finding another career path that will present ‘better’ opportunities. Sometimes, the common
assumption is that African youth are lazy and do not put any effort into their own sustenance. But for those who will not allow for their futures to be dictated for them, there’s another way around. More and more youth and the African population, in general, are looking for better ways to change the narrative and take their future into their own hands. This route is self-employment, which accounts for a large percentage of the employment option for Africans.
Being self-employed is gaining traction on the continent and has indeed contributed to improving the quality of life of most Africans. It provides a stable source of income with fewer costs and an opportunity for a work-life balance as compared to traditional employment. Even businesses all over the continent are benefitting from this employment option, due to contracting and outsourcing or freelancing. Especially for small businesses that cannot afford to pay inhouse workers, freelancers present an effective solution.
But there is one threat to the style of work, and that comes from the lack of systems to link talent to those that need them and vice versa. Unlike elsewhere in the world where freelancing platforms are popular and almost a normal way of earning an income, Africa lacks such privilege. So, freelancers often have to bend over backward to have access to the opportunity they need and get their work out there.
Also, African freelancers who go the extra miles to get on the available platforms that exist outside the continent are often faced with a myriad of challenges. The stereotype that Africans are not skilled, and the racism that they face are just a few of them. And that is where Kreek Africa comes in.
The Kreek Africa’s Solution
Kreek Africa; Redefining Freelancing in Africa
