The Challenge

Africa faces a critical digital skills gap that threatens to exclude millions of young people and women from the opportunities created by the continent's growing digital economy. The African Development Bank estimates that 625 million workers will need digital skills by 2030, yet current training infrastructure reaches only a fraction of this population. In many countries, access to quality digital education remains concentrated in major cities, leaving rural and underserved communities behind.

Women and girls are disproportionately affected by this gap, with cultural barriers, limited access to technology, and a lack of female role models in the tech sector contributing to persistently low participation rates. Without targeted interventions, the digital gender divide will continue to widen, depriving economies of the full potential of half their population.

Our Solution and Impact

Cybastion and Cisco jointly launched Africa DigiEmpower, an ambitious continental initiative designed to train young people and women in digital skills through the Cisco Networking Academy platform. The program operates across multiple countries, including Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Burkina Faso, with a goal of reaching 200,000 learners in Cote d'Ivoire alone.

Africa DigiEmpower provides free access to industry-recognized curricula covering cybersecurity fundamentals, networking essentials, IoT, programming, and entrepreneurship. The program includes dedicated outreach to women and girls, with mentorship components and community engagement designed to encourage sustained participation. Since its launch, the initiative has already reached over 20,000 learners and continues to expand, building a pipeline of digitally skilled talent ready to drive Africa's economic transformation.