{"id":8107,"date":"2020-06-03T07:56:50","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T07:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/?p=8107"},"modified":"2023-12-08T11:48:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T11:48:00","slug":"africa-rising-why-project-managers-are-critical-to-africas-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/future-of-work\/africa-rising-why-project-managers-are-critical-to-africas-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa Rising: Why Project Managers Are Critical to Africa\u2019s Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"8107\" class=\"elementor elementor-8107\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-20ad6ba0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"20ad6ba0\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-40b6a047\" data-id=\"40b6a047\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9fab5e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e9fab5e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\"><em><strong>With a rapidly growing population and economy, Africa is poised to take on massive infrastructure upgrades, and they\u2019ll need talented project managers to lead the charge.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dd8d001 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dd8d001\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>If you want to see the future of project management, look to Africa. The world\u2019s second-largest continent by both land mass and population is home to the world\u2019s largest free-trade zone and is experiencing significant population growth and urbanization. These <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/4-trends-to-watch-in-project-management-and-productivity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">trends<\/a>, in turn, are driving massive investments in infrastructure, but they\u2019re also giving rise to flourishing film and music industries and attracting significant technology investment dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s especially exciting about the future of Africa is the coming \u201cyouthquake\u201d poised to drive change across the region. Fully\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/africarenewal\/web-features\/why-infrastructure-development-africa-matters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">75 percent\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0of the population is under 25! This means that the people who stand to benefit the most from all these developments are the young. It also means that responsibility for managing many of these projects will be shouldered by a new generation of project managers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5446602 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5446602\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<p>These young managers have a natural affinity for the growing African film, music and technology industries:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Nigeria is home to \u201cNollywood\u201d \u2013 the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.studiobinder.com\/blog\/what-is-nollywood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">second largest\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0movie industry in the world after Bollywood in terms of output. It produces 2,500 films a year.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>The African music industry is also thriving. New African streaming platforms like Boomplay, uduX and Simfy have emerged in recent years, attracting investments from music industry stalwarts like Universal and Warner. And consumers are flocking to hot new music festivals like AfroChella and Afro Nation.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Africa is also pulling in investment dollars from technology and fintech firms. According to African Tech Startups Funding\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/disrupt-africa.com\/funding-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Report\u00a0<\/a>, 311 African tech startups raised $491.6 million last year alone. And a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsma.com\/mobilefordevelopment\/blog\/618-active-tech-hubs-the-backbone-of-africas-tech-ecosystem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">report\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0from Briter Bridges and GSMA indicates the number of active tech hubs in Africa has almost doubled to 618 over the last three years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3f02094 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3f02094\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>In addition to these industry hot spots, infrastructure remains a high priority across the continent. Despite recent economic development, only 38 percent of the African population has access to electricity. Three-quarters of all roads are unpaved. And 416 million Africans still live in extreme poverty. These numbers spell out why infrastructure development remains such an urgent priority.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2018, for the first time, Africa\u2019s commitments to infrastructure projects exceeded US$ 100 billion, according to the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA). These mega projects included:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Grand Inga Dam on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; Estimated to cost US$ 80 billion, Grand Inga is the world\u2019s largest hydropower project in the world (and expected to be twice as large as the Three Gorges Dam in China).\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bagamonyo Port in Tanzania<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0A joint venture of Tanzania, China and Oman will be the largest port in East\/Central Africa.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li><strong>Konzo Technology City in Kenya<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; Called Africa\u2019s Silicon Savanna after Silicon Valley in the U.S., this smart city project is part of Kenya\u2019s Vision 2030 plan and is expected to generate 17,000 high-value jobs and 68,000 indirect jobs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ebac9b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8ebac9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>As noted, both population growth and urbanization are powering this development. Already home to 1.2 billion people, Africa has the highest rate of population growth in the world. The United Nations projects that more than half of all global population growth will occur in Africa, and the population of sub-Sahara Africa alone is expected to double by 2050.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Africa is also increasingly urban. The world\u2019s fastest-growing cities are now in sub-Saharan Africa where, according to the World Bank, 472 million people live in cities. They expect that number to more than double to 1 billion by 2040, due to high birth rates and migration from rural areas. (That\u2019s the fastest rate of urbanization in the world.)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All these developments are creating enormous demands for project managers who can deal not only with technical complexity but with the transnational nature of many of the projects. An 832-kilometer electrical transmission project in West Africa, for example, crosses four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Benin and Burkina Faso. The LAPSSET megaproject in East Africa involves a port and oil refinery in Kenya, a railway line and two pipelines between southern Sudan and Ethiopia, and three airports, among other projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pace of development is just as rapid within individual countries. In Zambia, where the population has doubled to 17 million since 1993, infrastructure projects include four international airports, the US$ 4 billion Batoka Gorge hydroelectric power station, and Link 8000, a 10-year, US$ 31 billion project to rehab and construct 2,000 kilometers of roads.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The need and opportunity for young project managers are clearly immense &#8211; but so are the challenges. Some of these challenges are economic. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Africa\u2019s economy is expected to contract between 2.1 and 5.1 percent in 2020 \u2013 the region\u2019s first recession in 25 years.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f429f88 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f429f88\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>Large-scale projects can ensure long-term growth, but they also require sophisticated project management skill sets. Young project managers will need training and mentorship to lead Africa\u2019s development efforts. At PMI, we\u2019re supporting their needs through our training and certification programs and through the guidance and encouragement that comes with participating in local chapter activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next generation of project managers in Africa will play a critical role in transforming their continent, and, in doing so, will inevitably reshape the world of project management. I don\u2019t know about you, but I can\u2019t wait to see what\u2019s next!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To read more about global business trends and their impact on project leaders, check out our 2020 Signposts Report\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pmi.org\/learning\/library\/2020-signposts-report-11884\/?utm_medium=PMIOfficialBlog&amp;utm_campaign=PMIOfficialBlog&amp;utm_thm=Comms&amp;utm_content=2020SignpostsReport\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With a rapidly growing population and economy, Africa is poised to take on massive infrastructure upgrades, and they\u2019ll need talented project managers to lead the charge. If you want to see the future of project management, look to Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":822,"featured_media":8109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[182],"tags":[250,251,252],"ppma_author":[3949],"class_list":["post-8107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-future-of-work","tag-africa","tag-infrastructure","tag-project-managers"],"authors":[{"term_id":3949,"user_id":822,"is_guest":0,"slug":"otema-yirenkyi","display_name":"Otema Yirenkyi","avatar_url":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/yirenkyi-720x720-1-300x300-1-150x150.jpg","user_url":"http:\/\/www.pmi.org","last_name":"Yirenkyi","first_name":"Otema","job_title":"","description":"Otema Yirenkyi is Vice President Global Engagement at Project Management Institute. She is also responsible for PMI\u2019s Africa region, helping to solidify PMI\u2019s global impact through regionalization.  She is a contributor to Grit Daily."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/822"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8107"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34770,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8107\/revisions\/34770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8107"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.experfy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=8107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}