The demand for data science talent is growing fast, as AI becomes essential to how companies operate.
Zindi, an online network of professional data science talent, says the growing deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) by African businesses has seen it register 92 000 data practitioners on the platform since inception.
Launched in September 2018, Zindi is an online networking platform where African data scientists convene, collaborate and participate in online competitions, to solve some of the continent’s most pressing challenges.
The Cape Town-headquartered organisation has a recruitment arm and works with companies, non-profits and government institutions to place data practitioners within a variety of roles.
Celina Lee, CEO and co-founder of Zindi, says it has supplied data science talent to over 200 corporates, non-government organisations and government partners, fuelled by the rapidly increasing deployment of AI across Africa.
Zindi has partnered with Sanlam, Absa, Sasol and Cassava Technologies, among others, to connect them with top data and AI talent.
“The demand for data science talent is big and growing fast, particularly as AI becomes essential to how companies operate,” comments Lee.
“Every organisation now wants to understand and apply AI, and that all starts with data science. On Zindi, we see continuous interest from major corporates, banks, telcos, retailers and manufacturers, which are all building their internal data capabilities, as well as from start-ups. The reality is that digital transformation happens in stages: first digitisation and infrastructure, then the solutions.”
Data practitioners registered on the Zindi platform include data analysts, developers, AI specialists, machine learning engineers, data scientists and technical product managers.
Many of the companies Zindi works with have expressed their frustrations at not being able to find the right talent in Africa for their needs through traditional channels, Lee adds.
A large percentage of Zindi-registered data practitioners are actively looking for their next professional opportunity, she points out.
Celina Lee, CEO and co-founder of Zindi.
Resolving African challenges
According to the 2025 Critical Skills Survey, ICT professionals are the second most sought-after, after engineering.
The most in-demand ICT roles in SA are data analysts, data scientists, software engineers and IT engineers, it says. The deepening demand for these skills has forced local companies to seek skills off-shore through international recruitment programmes, to meet business needs, according to the survey.
“For South African businesses, the ability to attract, integrate and retain mobile professionals from abroad remains critical to sustaining economic competitiveness and long-term development,” the survey finds.
According to a research report titled: Decoding ICT demand 2025: Understanding the ICT job market in South Africa, data scientists are listed among ICT roles with the highest demand from recruiters over the last two years.
ICT roles with the highest growth over the last two years are cloud engineers/architects, cyber security specialists and data scientists/engineers, notes the report.
According to Lee, firms use data science to improve how they operate, understand their customers, detect fraud, manage risk and innovate new digital products and services. Data scientists are now central to how these companies make decisions and compete.
“Data science is transforming every part of the economy, from healthcare and manufacturing, to financial services and government. It drives efficiency, extends services to people and communities that were previously out of reach, and gives organisations the edge to stay competitive.
“Data scientists turn raw information into real-world impact. At Zindi, we believe data is one of the most powerful tools for solving the world’s biggest challenges, and young people across Africa are proving every day that they can lead this transformation.”
To fuel the skills demand, Zindi hosts two to three new challenges/hackathons every month. Each one mirrors real-world problems that companies are trying to solve, from predictive analytics and computer vision, to natural language processing.
Every challenge is a new opportunity to learn, with participants gaining not only technical skills, but also teamwork, communication and creativity, Lee continues.
“There is recognition that data is now a strategic asset. Companies that can use data well will define the next decade of innovation and growth.
“There’s a strong correlation between completing challenges and being recruited. Our data shows that participants who complete four or more challenges are much more likely to get hired. It shows genuine curiosity, persistence and the kind of problem-solving mind-set that employers want.
“People who team up in challenges also do especially well, because they build both technical and collaboration skills that translate directly into the workplace.”
