Alliance formed to address Africa's shortage of digital literacy skills
In a strategic move to tackle Africa's growing digital skills crisis, Apis Training, a global telecom education provider based in Sweden, has partnered with South Africa's NIL Africa [1][2][3]. This collaboration aims to expand access to critical ICT and telecom training across Sub-Saharan Africa.
NIL Africa has been named Apis Training's official reseller for the region, providing localized support and customization of training programs to meet the specific needs of African telecom professionals and industries [1][2][3]. The partnership focuses on upskilling telecoms talent to bridge the gap between rapid digital infrastructure growth and the shortage of skilled technical professionals.
Apis Training offers a comprehensive curriculum covering mobile network evolution, 5G deployment, cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud infrastructure—areas key to Africa’s digital transformation and economic growth [1][2][3]. Training is delivered through Apis’s e-learning platform combined with localized support teams, enabling flexible and regionally tailored programs [1][3].
Niklas Thorin, CEO of Apis Training, emphasized that building high-performance digital networks is only part of the solution; equipping people with the skills to run, secure, and evolve these networks drives sustainable change [1][2][3]. Brad Thomas, sales and marketing director at NIL Africa, highlighted the urgency of skills development in the telecom and ICT sector and stated that this collaboration brings world-class learning resources directly into the African ecosystem to support operators, regulators, and enterprises in building future-ready teams [1][3].
This partnership also reflects a broader trend of investing in African telecom talent to replace imported solutions with locally grown capacity, aiming to contribute to Africa’s digital inclusion and economic development through enhanced technical expertise and scalable education solutions [3][5].
The demand for future-fit technical skills in Africa has outpaced supply, with the talent pool remaining critically underdeveloped in areas such as mobile network evolution, 5G deployment, cybersecurity, IoT, and cloud infrastructure [6]. Mobile internet usage is rising fast in Africa, and sectors like finance, health, and agriculture are rapidly adopting IoT and cloud-based solutions [7]. Global companies are recognizing the long-term opportunity and value in African talent through partnerships like this one.
Training access and enrolment information can be found on the NIL Africa website: https://nil.co.za/apis-training/ [1]. This partnership strengthens NIL Africa's mission to localize global knowledge, equipping African teams with the knowledge to be ready for future digital developments.
- The partnership between Apis Training and NIL Africa, focusing on telecom and ICT education, aims to expand critical ICT and telecom training across Sub-Saharan Africa in order to bridge the gap between rapid digital infrastructure growth and the shortage of skilled technical professionals.
- Niklas Thorin, CEO of Apis Training, emphasized that not only building high-performance digital networks is important, but also equipping people with the skills to run, secure, and evolve these networks, as it drives sustainable change.
- The collaboration between Apis Training and NIL Africa provides localized support and customization of training programs to meet the specific needs of African telecom professionals and industries, offering a comprehensive curriculum covering topics like mobile network evolution, 5G deployment, cybersecurity, IoT, and cloud infrastructure.
- This partnership is part of a broader trend of investing in African telecom talent, aiming to contribute to Africa’s digital inclusion and economic development through enhanced technical expertise and scalable education solutions.
