Tanzania's 10 Million Formal Workers Drive Demand for Technical Certifications

Dar es Salaam-based Cybergen Training has released its new technical certification calendar, offering a window into which professional skills are being prioritized nationwide.

The training schedule addresses specific capability gaps identified in private and academic research on Tanzania’s digital ecosystem.

Banking Systems Integration

The 10-day Oracle FLEXCUBE Functional Training focuses on the software platform that powers many of Tanzania’s commercial banks.

FLEXCUBE is a core banking system that manages essential bank operations such as customer accounts, loans, deposits, payment processing, and financial reporting.

When a customer visits any branch or uses mobile banking, they are interacting with FLEXCUBE behind the scenes. This system handles everything from interest calculations to transaction processing to regulatory compliance reporting.

Many Tanzanian banks, including NMB, NBC, and Ecobank Tanzania, have already purchased and implemented FLEXCUBE, but research by Msangawale et al. (2023) reveals a common problem:

Financial institutions often lack personnel who fully understand how to customize and optimize the platform.

This leads to underutilized features, inefficient workflows, and dependency on expensive external consultants for routine modifications.

The certification addresses this gap by teaching participants exactly how to configure the system for local requirements, integrate it with mobile banking channels, and develop custom modules that match specific business needs.

For financial institutions, having certified FLEXCUBE specialists means faster implementation of new banking products, better system performance, and reduced operational expenses.

Project Management Frameworks

The PRINCE2 7 Foundation and Practitioner certification teaches a specific, step-by-step approach to managing diverse projects.

PRINCE2 is a structured project management method that divides projects into controlled stages with clear decision points.

For example, when an organization implements a new IT system—whether it’s a document management platform or a financial application—PRINCE2 provides a consistent framework for planning, tracking progress, managing risks, and measuring success.

This prevents the common problems of scope creep, budget overruns, and missed deadlines.

Research from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) shows that Tanzanian organizations often struggle with inconsistent project execution. Even experienced managers use different approaches across projects, making outcomes unpredictable and difficult to replicate. PRINCE2 solves this by establishing a common language and process across all technology initiatives.

The certification teaches participants exactly how to create detailed project plans, establish governance structures, manage stakeholder expectations, and implement quality control measures.

Government agencies implementing initiatives under Tanzania’s Digital Economy Framework particularly benefit from this standardized approach when coordinating complex multi-department projects.

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and Six Sigma Green Belt courses are also underway.

Network Security Configuration

The Sophos XG Firewall Administrator course focuses on configuring advanced network security appliances that serve as the first line of defense against cyber threats.

A firewall is hardware that monitors and controls all data traffic entering and leaving an organization’s network, blocking malicious connections while allowing legitimate business traffic.

When an organization connects to the internet, properly configured firewalls prevent hackers from accessing internal systems while still allowing employees to use online services securely. Modern firewalls like Sophos XG can inspect encrypted traffic, detect advanced threats, and create secure connections for remote workers.

This is for you if your organization has purchased sophisticated security hardware but configured it with basic settings that leave vulnerabilities unaddressed.

The certification teaches participants exactly how to implement advanced security policies, configure intrusion prevention systems, set up secure remote access, and establish web filtering rules.

For companies handling sensitive data, having properly configured security infrastructure is essential for protecting critical systems from increasingly sophisticated attacks.

IT Service Management

The ITIL certification programs—ITIL 4 Foundation and ITIL Service Operations—teach systematic approaches to managing information technology (IT) services within organizations.

ITIL is a set of detailed practices for aligning IT services with business requirements. It ensures technology delivers consistent value.

When an employee cannot access internal systems, when a server crashes, or when a new application needs to be deployed, ITIL provides structured processes for handling these situations efficiently.

Rather than addressing problems with ad-hoc approaches that vary by technician, ITIL establishes consistent workflows that make IT support predictable and measurable.

When technology support isn't standardized, similar problems get solved differently depending on who handles them, creating variable user experiences and inefficient resource utilization.

The Foundation certification instructs participants on the essential ITIL concepts and terminology, while the Service Operations course focuses specifically on day-to-day management of IT services.

Participants learn exactly how to implement incident management systems, create service catalogs, establish request fulfillment processes, and design problem management workflows.

These practical skills enable organizations to track performance metrics, identify improvement opportunities, and ensure technology consistently supports business objectives.

Skills Gap Context

Tanzania’s telecom sector alone generates approximately $2.2 billion in annual revenue, with companies investing heavily in infrastructure and systems.

Similar investments occur across banking, government, education, and healthcare. However, these investments often deliver suboptimal returns when organizations lack personnel with specialized system knowledge.

The National Digital Education Strategy 2024-2030 specifically addresses this challenge, calling for “continuously building the capacity of educators on the integration of ICT.”

This approach recognizes that technology alone doesn’t improve outcomes. Organizations must develop technical expertise to effectively utilize these systems.

In 2023, research by the Dar-based Institute of Finance Management (IFM) revealed Tanzanian organizations frequently implement identical technologies independently, solving the same technical challenges repeatedly without benefiting from shared solutions.

Standardized certifications create common technical knowledge across organizations. They enable more effective collaboration and reduce wasteful duplication of effort.

Upcoming Training

The March calendar represents just one segment of a year-round professional development schedule.

April shifts toward cybersecurity with Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v13, Certified Penetration Testing Professional, and Certified Network Defender courses.

These prepare security professionals to identify system vulnerabilities, test defense mechanisms, and implement comprehensive protection measures against evolving digital threats.

Beyond training, the Cybergen’s DevSecOps consulting unit works with product teams to integrate security throughout software development lifecycles.

The company addresses vulnerabilities frequently found in locally developed enterprise and consumer applications.

For Tanzanian organizations across all sectors, its certifications provide a strategic advantage. Instead of competing for limited and costly external tech talent, organizations can cultivate specialized skills within their existing teams.

If you want to maximize returns on your technology investments, you might find it helpful to look into programs like those at Cybergen (+255 753 666 601).