The demand for Salesforce developers keeps growing. In almost 23 years, Salesforce has become the leading CRM platform. By 2026, the IDC predicts that the Salesforce ecosystem will create approximately 9.3 million jobs worldwide! No wonder impact outsourcer Tunga is eager to help upskill software developers in Africa and train them in Salesforce development. Salesforce, for its part, is excited by Tunga’s approach and is more than happy to collaborate.
On a Mission to Unleash Africa’s Tech Talent
Tunga was established in 2015 with one mission: to create 21st-century jobs for African youths. Throughout various visits to the continent, the founders were struck by the sheer amount of talent and passion they encountered. But they also noticed the need for more qualified developers across the seas to match this African talent pool and the demand for qualified developers.
Many would observe, take things in, and move on. But not these folks. Tunga was established to fulfill the needs of both parties in the IT market. Talented software developers in Africa can circumvent some of the limitations of life and work. Through quality education, coaching, and unlocking opportunities, African techies can find their way to freedom and be able to set their path in life.
At the same time, Tunga empowers employers worldwide to bypass the shortage of software developers and related problems in their home countries. For those companies, Tunga offers flexible access to outstanding African coders.
“One of the things that attracted me most to Tunga’s program is that they see finding the individual work at the end of the program as a key component.” – Helen Ives, EMEA Director of Training Partners, Salesforce.
With its innovative approach, Tunga combines the best of a staff augmentation agency, a training institute, and a freelance marketplace. The social enterprise scouts, vets, and recruits talented developers from all over Africa. Next, the talent is trained thoroughly through boot camps, coaching, and its e-learning platform, after which the software developers are presented to interested employers for remote positions.
But it doesn’t stop there. Once an African software developer gets hired, Tunga continues to support the talent and the international client until the developer is ready to go out and explore the IT labour market. While Tunga has offices and co-working spaces in Kampala (Uganda), Lagos (Nigeria), and Amsterdam (Netherlands), its natural habitat is online.
Tunga always knew that physical distance does not have to hamper team performance – just ask longstanding clients like rb2, Mindright, or Axual! Unfortunately, it took a pandemic to convince many other employers that a remote worker can be as reliable and perform as well as any colleague in the office.
Going by the growing base of happy, returning customers, more and more people are convinced by the Tunga approach.
Partnering with Salesforce
Of course, Tunga was acutely aware of the ever-growing popularity of the customer relationship management platform. But, more importantly, Salesforce has always been committed to driving change. As one of the founders of the Pledge 1% initiative, Salesforce is a perfect platform to help unlock more opportunities for African youths! The idea of a collaboration was received with great enthusiasm by Salesforce.
Its staff was happy to help create more opportunities for African tech talent, and it was impressive to see how quickly the partnership came to fruition. Salesforce stands to benefit from a larger number of qualified Salesforce developers – think about it, those 9.3 million jobs need to be filled! Helen Ives, EMEA Director of Training Partners for Salesforce, says it is challenging for all software companies to ensure they have the necessary developers to keep growing.
“We work with a number of organisations [in Africa] and are aware that there are a lot of individuals with the education and ability for tech jobs (…) Now, with the internet and Salesforce’s Success from Anywhere policy, it’s possible for consultants to work in a different location than their customer. We see this project as a big opportunity to find some of those 9.3 million people we need.”
Training Salesforce Developers
Tunga will select developers for four Salesforce boot camps: Salesforce Associate, Salesforce Administrator, Salesforce App Builder, and Salesforce Platform Developer. Entrance requirements include existing programming expertise, a high level of abstract thinking, and good soft skills are also required. When participants complete the program successfully, they are awarded the Salesforce certification.
“Experience and skills are not the same. There is value in both. We’re a highly innovative company, and we provide training in the latest features and functionalities of our technology.” – Helen Ives, EMEA Director of Training Partners, Salesforce.
Moreover, Tunga will find employment for the newly certified Salesforce developers. Says Ives:
“One of the things that attracted us most to Tunga’s program is that they see finding the individual work at the end of the program as a key component. Salesforce is a very innovative technology with three releases per year, so learning about the latest innovation from Salesforce Certified Instructors and hearing their insights and best practices allows the students, once certified, to help customers adopt new features faster and help their businesses keep up with the pace of change.”
The boot camps consist of guided courses, curated and led by Salesforce Certified Instructors, with a blend of bi-weekly online group sessions and self-paced and community-based learning. Dedicated Tunga mentors check in at least once a week. They provide all the necessary extra support, coaching, and customising.
This robust learning path will take the participants four to six months to understand the Salesforce environment and its various technologies fully. Building on existing knowledge, the developers will acquire extended technical skills. Soft skills are also a focus of this program, including; preparation ahead of client interviews.
Helen highlights that potential employers should be careful about any perceived lack of experience.
“Experience and skill levels are not the same thing. There is value in both. We’re a very innovative company, and we provide training in the latest features and functionalities of our technology.”
This program will be evaluated regularly, and we will work to identify challenges and find solutions. Ives:
“Salesforce’s approach has always been that we can only be successful if we help other people be successful, so collaborations are key for us…and we provide support to encourage that success.”
The Early Bird…
Employers interested in working with a remote Salesforce developer can already interact with our talent – or even hire them! – before or during the training program. With rewards for early commitment, the already affordable hourly rates are reduced. There are more benefits to getting on board at an early stage. Once you have selected a developer, we can customise their learning path together so that your chosen IT talent perfectly matches the critical Salesforce features within your organisation.
And to reassure you: whether you hire a Salesforce developer in training or a certified Salesforce developer, Tunga supports your organisation and the coder for as long as your agreement lasts.
Win-win
We are excited about this collaboration between Tunga and Salesforce, as there is so much in store for everyone involved! For developers, adding another in-demand skill and certification to their CV and refining their soft skills. Most importantly, gaining employment as a Salesforce developer with an employer who truly appreciates their work. Employers get to hire a qualified Salesforce developer at an affordable rate.
A developer who can work with the newest Salesforce features. While we probably don’t need to explain how rare such an opportunity is, you may have other questions. You are always welcome to check out our website for more information or get a direct response for the Salesforce partnership by contacting our talent team.
