The internet economy throughout Africa is booming. The continent is forecast to drive an additional $180 billion – equating to 5.2% of combined GDP – by 2025, according to a study by Google and the World Bank’s IFC. Africa’s internet economy was worth only $30 billion in 2012, with a six-fold rise expected in just a 13-year window. Kenya is one of five African markets where interest and demand for software developers is high. The proliferation of high-speed affordable internet service providers nationwide has also been a major factor in Kenya’s fast-moving internet economy.
In fact, the joint report between Google and the IFC claims that almost 700,000 professional developers work across Africa’s five most established internet economies – Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa. Last year, a report titled ‘Africa Technology Ecosystem’ by Accenture and Google found that, although Kenya’s development hub was one of the fastest-growing on the continent, it was still one of the least advanced. The most popular coding language remains C++, even though JavaScript and Scala are in higher demand.
Microsoft has since invested heavily in development center initiatives across the continent, including in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. One of the biggest and most exciting developments is that more than a fifth (21%) of African developers are women – compared with 15% in the US. These developers are increasingly working for development companies with a reputation for delivering fast, high quality and cost-effective solutions for businesses.
Aside from B2B products that can improve productivity and efficiency in the workplace, the nation’s software developers are also increasingly popular for B2C entertainment too. The iGaming industry in Kenya has long been unregulated, giving operators the license to operate freely here.
However, measures like the Gaming Bill 2019 have attempted to bring the online scene in line with its land-based industry. There will be an increasing demand for slot developers in Kenya as its online casino industry matures. The leading iGaming operators across the globe typically house several hundred online casino slots, ranging from classic fruit machine-style titles to contemporary progressive jackpot games with the potential for multi-million-dollar payouts. New slot titles are released almost on a weekly basis by the biggest casinos, which would certainly keep Kenyan software developers on their toes to stay on track with demand.
If you are wondering which software development companies are already leading the way for B2B and B2C solutions in Kenya, read on as we detail the best in end-to-end development across mobile and web app development.
- SovTech
SovTech is a global software development agency, specialising in bespoke software solutions for start-ups and established enterprises too. With offices in London and Dubai, SovTech has also invested heavily in the African development scene with offices in Nairobi, Cape Town and Johannesburg too. Its most popular niche is the fintech scene, involving blockchain, artificial intelligence and cloud technology. - Madavi Agency
The Madavi Agency is a fast-growing software development agency in Nairobi City. It specialises in mobile app development, with its in-house developers holding a proud reputation for their ability to transform ideas into disruptive app solutions. Madavi also acknowledges the cross-platform world. It develops apps across a single code base, ensuring compatibility with multiple platforms to save clients time and money. - Endeavour Africa Ltd
Almost three-quarters of Endeavour Africa’s services are focused solely on bespoke software development. It has developed an impressive foothold in the IT solutions sector, with more than 3,000 clients across the continent. Their mission? To deliver premium quality and cost-effective software development and systems integrations for clients that view Endeavour Africa as “growth partners” as opposed to “solutions providers”. - Segue Interactive
As a company that’s passionate about “shaping the future”, Segue Interactive delivers intuitive web and mobile applications. Established in 2017, the firm has already cultivated a proud reputation as one of Kenya’s leading mobile development companies. It specialises in iOS and Android app development, as well as eCommerce and bespoke web application development. - AlignMinds Technologies
One of Kenya’s longest-standing software development firms, AlignMinds has been working out of five different continents since 2009 – including Nairobi. Its digital product engineering services include mobile and web app development, boasting a string of success stories across a broad spectrum of sectors, namely retail, media, education, and healthcare.
The rapid proliferation of local software engineering talent across Kenya is heartening to see. In November 2019, Github revealed demand for African developers was continuing to rise by 40%.
