Platform for youth

Young professionals educated in China are set to fuel the workforce of the most progressive companies in Africa, says Norbert Haguma, chief executive of Kiziga.com.

"Africa is very appealing right now. Apart from Chinese companies, many Western companies want to hire China-educated Africans," he says.

"It's kind of a unique niche - they can work in Africa and also have the China knowledge."

Haguma decided to launch Kiziga.com in 2009, after seeing first-hand the need for specialized China knowledge on the African continent.

"During that time I had many potential projects that could have really benefited Africa and the companies involved, but they didn't go through because of a lack of human resources," he says.

In Beijing, he has also launched the student organization Young African Professionals and Students, known as YAPS, to help form a network for African students to share knowledge and experiences both in the classroom and when joining the workforce. Haguma says the most important role YAPS plays is providing support for those who need it.

This can be in the form of helping people find jobs or assisting in job applications by hosting CV workshops. At other times it comes in the form of something less tangible, but more substantial.

"For example the South Koreans are so well organized in the online forums that when they have a major problem with a program, the next year you will see fewer South Koreans applying to that university. As a result universities are extremely careful about how they treat South Korean students.

"It's becoming the same now through Kiziga and YAPS."