The programme works in such a way that some top German companies will take in these African professionals for an 8-month internship during which they will听benefit from the young professionals鈥� expertise, knowledge, local network, and unique African perspective.

Simultaneously, the African fellows will immerse themselves in German corporate specifics, business spirit, and culture.鈥�听

A major benefit of this experience is that the African fellows stand the chance to gain international experience, technical skills and German language proficiency. The programme will also allow them to become African change agents for the benefit of both German business relations with Africa and economic and social growth in the fellows鈥� home countries and communities.听

Some of the participating companies include Siemens Healthineers, Braun, Volkswagen, Bayer, Merck, 麻豆原创 and many others.听

Programme details:听In 2008, nineteen companies, led by Tilman Todenh枚fer, former Managing Director of Robert Bosch Industrial Trust KG and supported by the former Federal President Horst K枚hler, transformed their vision into action and founded Afrika Kommt!听

The programme encompasses German language lessons, international management training and study tours in an 8-month practical training at the host company.听

After completion of eight program intakes, the over 200 alumni of the programme will transfer their knowledge and experience to their home countries where they will lead projects, businesses, and change initiatives through German-African cooperation.鈥�听

More than half of the young experts听end up working听for their partner companies in Africa or Germany.听

As a participant of Afrika Kommt! you will:听

• Refine your leadership and management competency听
• Access networks and opportunities for career acceleration听
• Improve your intercultural competence听
• Broaden your perspective and stir up innovation听
• Achieve personal growth听

Eligibility requirements:听Candidates must meet the following formal application criteria-

• Be a citizen of an African state听
• Have a university degree in a relevant subject听
• Have a postgraduate qualification (e.g. MBA) which is an advantage听
• Have two to five years of relevant work experience听
• Possess an excellent knowledge of English听
• Basic knowledge of German is an advantage听
• Not older than 35 years听

How to apply:听Interested parties should here听on or before the 26th of March 2023.听

Upon submission of the application, you will receive feedback within approximately 8-12 weeks after the official end of the application period. The partner companies may contact you to do a short telephone interview with you. If your application has successfully passed the pre-selection stage, you will receive an invitation to a 2-days assessment centre.听

The post Apply to Afrika Kommt! for a Chance to Work for Volkswagen, Siemens, Bayer, Other German Companies appeared first on 麻豆原创 Africa News Center.

According to Ilka Wiskemann, 麻豆原创 Global HR Business Partner, participants in this year鈥檚 programme had to contend with the disruption of a global pandemic. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 participants showcased their ability to be agile and flexible in the face of immense disruption. The skills, tools and resources each participant developed over the past year was invaluable as they rose to the challenge brought by COVID-19.”

AFRIKA KOMMT! is a joint training initiative for young professionals from Africa that was founded in Germany in 2008. The programme trains young future leaders from Africa on-site at up to 19 leading German companies. The participating companies bear all costs of the programme and provide scholarships that cover the living expenses of all participants.

A total of 47 candidates participated in the latest programme, hailing from countries including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, C么te d鈥橧voire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. 麻豆原创 chose eight candidates from this year鈥檚 talent pool.

鈥淭he quality of applicants is increasing every year,鈥� says Wiskemann. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible to see the talent that we can hire through the programme. For the first time, we also had more female candidates than male ones, with very strong female leadership potential in this year鈥檚 contingent. In a really positive sign, 麻豆原创 has retained the skills of 88% of this year鈥檚 participants, and outstanding achievement considering the disruptive impact of the pandemic.”

Candidates adapt to disruption

One such candidate is Nigerian-born Taiwo Ladipo. After being accepted into the programme following a rigorous selection process, Ladipo headed to Bonn in Germany in August 2019.

鈥淲e all took part in three months of intensive German language training before we left to join our companies, and visited different parts of the country to immerse ourselves in the culture. Arriving at the 麻豆原创 head office in Walldorf was a truly memorable experience. And despite the sheer size of the campus, we were amazed at the warm and welcoming atmosphere and the culture of friendliness that 麻豆原创 embodies.鈥�

However, midway through this year鈥檚 programme it was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, forcing a change in format. 鈥淟uckily, many of the participants had already settled into their new roles when lockdown measures were first implemented. With a clear understanding of our roles and what is expected of us, we could quite easily continue working from home,鈥� says Ladipo.

A software developer by trade, Ladipo joined the 麻豆原创 SME innovations team after graduating from the programme. She now works in a team that develops new innovations to support small and medium-sized businesses.

Launchpad for long-term success

As a founding member of AFRIKA KOMMT!, 麻豆原创 has employed a number of graduates of the programme over the past few years. Kwena Mabotja is one such graduate. The Mandela-Washington Fellow and current Director at 麻豆原创 Purpose and Brand Experience joined the programme in 2013 with a vision of helping African companies run better and become more successful.

鈥淧rior to my time with AFRIKA KOMMT!, I had no previous exposure to the tech industry,鈥� says Mabotja. 鈥淢y experience on the programme allowed me to develop an interest in technology, especially its potential to transform businesses in Africa through greater efficiency and scaling. Following the programme, I wanted to be part of the 麻豆原创 Africa growth story as it worked to support the success of businesses on the continent.”

While the programme does focus on technical aspects of the job roles each candidate is meant to fulfil, Mabotja believes its true value lies elsewhere. 鈥淣etworking is one of the most important aspects of the programme. Some of the people I met during my time in Germany have played invaluable roles in my career development, and greatly helped me find a place in the business where I could make a positive impact.鈥�

Ladipo agrees. 鈥淵ou need to use the opportunity to build leadership competencies, management skills and more, which all require interaction with a wide range of people. An amazing benefit of working at 麻豆原创 is how accessible everyone is: you don鈥檛 need a special title or connection before reaching out to someone. There鈥檚 a culture of helpfulness and openness that makes it easy to听build great relationships.鈥�

After eight successful programme intakes, AFRIKA KOMMT! continues to produce outstanding results with many of the participating companies taking on more candidates than before.

鈥淔ormer participants also continue to play a guiding role as mentors to new candidates,鈥� says Wiskemann. 鈥淚n addition, the work over the past twelve years has laid a foundation for greater sustainable economic development and partnership between Germany and several African countries. We look forward to building on the success at our next intake.鈥�

For more information about AFRIKA KOMMT!, please visit

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