IT Outsourcing Senegal

CBI started the IT Outsourcing (ITO) Senegal project in 2024. This project focuses on understanding the Senegalese ITO sector and dealing with the challenges to its growth. Collaborating with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we support them in these challenges in making their companies grow. The project ends in 2028.

Senegal's ITO sector is active and growing. The sector has great potential in regional and European Union (EU) markets with high demand for information and communication (ICT) professionals. Yet, it needs to handle challenges to achieve more sustainable growth in the Senegalese ITO sector. Examples of these challenges are:

• Staff retention, often staff move to another better job within a few years, leading to a loss of knowledge;
• Little space for women to grow into higher (middle management) positions within the ITO sector;
• Lack of services to provide high-quality strategic growth and organisational advice.

Project goals

The main project goals are: 

• Reach sustainable growth and more opportunities for women;
• Make a growth plan that benefits the economy and is fair for everyone, including women;
• Work with SMEs to help their businesses grow in the European and regional markets;
• Create decent jobs and an inclusive ITO sector. 

Activities

During the first part of the project, we did a lot of research to understand:

• The needs of the ITO sector in Senegal;
• The obstacles to the growth of the ITO sector;
• The role and position of women in the sector. 

The results have given us a better idea of the activities needed in the next part of the project. We have planned the following activities: 

• Individual coaching of companies;
• Market entry activities such as trade fair visits;
• Setting up a strategic coaching network;
• Organising role modelling events such as the ITO Woman of the Year;
• Focus group discussions, specifically with female employees or students;
• Sector stakeholder events to discuss the branding and strategic vision of the sector.

Project partner companies

The following company partners are selected and involved in the project:

• ARISTARC
• ODS
• ADNTECH
• ERGOBIT
• EYONE
• POLARIS ST
• WANGO
• SENTRUST
• SOLID
• YOWIT
• SUN TELECOM
• FINETECH

Other (potential) project partners

CBI hopes to involve the following partners during different stages of the project.

• Senegalese service providers, both public and private providers;
• IT sector associations;
• Public institutions relevant to the ITO sector;
• Non-profit associations and business support organisations relevant to the ITO sector;
• ADEPME;
• Festic;
• Optic;
• Senstartup;
• Digital Senegal.

Get involved as a partner

Are you a partner interested in contributing to the transition to a sustainable and inclusive ITO sector in Senegal? Contact CBI to get more information on the project or to explore potential collaboration.