African Professionals: Coming Home

April 17, 2009 - PRLog -- As the global economy shows signs of strain, Africans working in the Diaspora are showing an increasing inclination to come back home and develop their careers. This is not so much a reversal of ‘brain drain’, as a realisation that Africa, which is still experiencing growth while the rest of the world economies slow down, offers broad opportunities for ambitious and dynamic professionals to progress their careers.

Ismoila Alli-Balogun is one such professional who moved from the US to Nigeria with Renaissance Capital. He remains strikingly optimistic about Africa, “For me, it’s never been about beginning my career with a boutique investment bank. Rather it’s been about being in and learning from a well-branded investment bank that is purposed on leading Africa business with its feet on the battlefield of the most exciting markets in Africa.”

Global Career Company, a London-based international recruitment consultancy, has been at the forefront of recruiting the cream of Africa’s professionals working abroad with an enviable track record spanning seven years of working with over 150 of Africa’s leading employers.

Rupert Adcock, Managing Director at Global Career Company notes that there are some key trends emerging in the current market. “Africa’s financial sector remains essentially sound due to limited exposure to toxic assets affecting major financial centres. The African telecommunications market is showing great promise and is expected to experience a faster growth rate than any other region over the next three to five years.”

Players in these sectors are among those seeking to shore up their workforces with experienced professionals possessing global experience. It is an added bonus that this, in turn, helps these companies reduce their reliance on expatriate expertise.

Firms such as Barclays Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, National Microfinance Bank and Standard Bank are leading the charge to seek out internationally oriented African bankers. MTN, Tigo, Vodafone and Zain, all major players in the telecoms sector, are currently experiencing elevated demand for high level management skills and are now conducting international recruitment campaigns as part of their overall skills development strategy.

Adcock goes on to say: “With career opportunities increasing throughout the region, driven by continued growth and expansion across borders, Africans are more than ever considering moving home to further their careers and contribute to their local economies. Indeed, with a 50% increase in candidate applications expected at this year’s event, the appetite for a move to Africa appears to be greater than ever.”

GCC’s annual Careers in Africa Recruitment Summit in London is the largest event of its kind in the world, bringing together over 30 blue chip firms and helping to place more than 1,000 African professionals into exciting careers across the continent. This year, the event will be held between the 22nd and 24th of May, and will include companies such as Acergy, Altech, Aurecon Group, Barclays, Chevron, Engen, GE, Illovo Sugar, KCB, MTN, Vodafone and Zain.

Companies on the continent recognise the value of recruiting at the Careers in Africa Summit.

The HR Director at National Microfinance Bank (NMB) in Tanzania says: “This is a great opportunity to source for talent - an event that has to be utilised by every company that is focusing on strategic people resourcing."

The HR Director, Stanbic Africa is as enthusiastic: “If you have a presence in Africa you would be crazy to miss such an opportunity to tap into this talent pool.”

The HR Director at Esso Angola recognises the value of reaching out to the Diaspora via these Summits: "A great opportunity for companies and candidates to achieve a common goal: to bring highly skilled professionals to Africa."

Yassin Hussein, a past participant, is clear on how useful the Careers in Africa Summit was to his career: “My current role as Regional Sales Manager with Coca Cola Sabco in Dar es Salaam is as challenging as it is rewarding and the future with Coca Cola Sabco is bright.”

To find out more about Careers in Africa visit www.careersinafrica.com.

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Global Career Company is an international recruitment consultancy specialising in high value recruitment services for the Africa, Asian and Eastern European markets.