Best tech communities to join in Africa: Belonging to a tech community is very imperative for people with tech skills, as it will help them network with people of like minds (at same or high levels).
In a nutshell, networking with people in communities helps proffer coaches/role models that will help secure a boost in career.
Thanks to a lot of thoughtful individuals, we have a lot of these Tech communities in Africa today. For the purpose of ease, we have outlined a list of the top 9 of these communities. But before we dive into the list, let’s elaborate further on the benefits of a Tech community, in view to further help you grasp the merits.
Benefits of being in a Tech community.
1. Being in a community, you get help regarding that bug that’s been ‘frustrating’ your life, lol, there’s bound to be someone who’s dealt with it previously and fixed it. The moment you ask for help, you’ll almost certainly receive assistance sooner.
2. You can readily obtain mentorship or guidance. Many guys are eager to assist aspiring devs; all you have to do is join these communities and respectfully ask.
3. You’ll meet amazing people from different fields. There will be individuals you meet who will change your life; create good friends, relate effectively, and be respectful; you never know when a recommendation will be useful.
4. How fast would you know about the latest tech events, courses, job opportunities if not from a community.
5. You’ll get to work on amazing projects that would sharpen your skill. These are excellent opportunities to strengthen your technical skills, as well as social skills such as teamwork and the ability to respond positively to code reviews and honest criticism.
There are so many advantages to being a part of the IT community that I can’t list them all.
Tech Communities We have In Nigeria.
1. GDG :
The Google developer group (GDG) is a Community of local groups for developers who are passionate about Google products and APIs. GDG chapters are supported and recognized by Google Developers, but they are not owned or managed by them. ”Simply research ‘GDG place’ to find a GDG chapter near you or in your city.
2. GDSC:
Thousands of student developers are trained by Developer Student Clubs around the world, and they collaborate with local communities to tackle real-world problems. If you are a student at a higher education institution, you can join GDSC if your school has one; if it does not, you can apply to have one established. Google assists GDSCs in organizing events such as training and IO extended, as well as providing student licenses for several learning tools.
3. Women Techmakers:
Google’s Women Tech makers program provides visibility, community, and resources for women in technology. You should totally consider joining this community if you are a female who is passionate about building tech skills.
4. She code Africa :
It is an African tech community created solely for celebrating and empowering young women and women in tech across Africa. You can get sponsored online courses here for free, you also get job opportunities here. Ada Nduka Oyom is the founder, and she’s doing a great job.
5. Figma Africa :
This is a community for UI/UX designers, Product designers, Motion designers, Illustrators who want to network and grow that skill. They hold meetups and share useful tools and resources.
6. Forloop Africa :
This is a community of passionate software developers and enthusiasts across Africa. You can get free sponsored courses and Job opportunities here.
7. Àsà Coterie :
This is a cross-disciplinary community of passionate designers who are changing the tech industry in Nigeria and Africa at large using design.
8. Open source community Africa :
Open Source Community Africa (OSCA) is a community of open source enthusiasts, advocates, and experts from across Africa with the sole goal of increasing the rate of credible contributions by African software developers, designers, writers, and everyone involved in the sphere of technology to open source projects both locally and globally, shifting Africans‘ perception from the billion users to the billion contributors.
wrapping up:
There are other communities out there, but these are the ones I’m aware of; take a look at them. If you know of any others, please list them in the comments section.