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Following the admission of Rwanda’s software testing qualifications board (RWSTQB) as the 69th member board of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB), officials have stated that Rwanda may soon become the home of professional software testers from around the world.
The announcement, which marked Rwanda’s transition from decades-long South African hegemony, came at the recent General Assembly in Tokyo, Japan.
According to Robert Ford, President of RWSTQB, the admission occurs at a time when Rwanda’s software quality assurance industry is becoming more attractive to investors on the local market, partly because of the country’s innovative and entrepreneurial climate.
“Among other things, we want to make it more appealing, show businesses how effective and relevant it is, bring international trends to the local market for up-and-coming young professionals, and offer educational support.”
He claims that the majority of people in Rwanda are young, that the country’s economy is centered on the service sector, and that information and communication technology (ICT) is becoming more and more important.
The Information Age of today requires reliable and high-caliber software. Leading the way in software testing in Rwanda is the RWSTQB’s mission. We currently have access to certification examinations and certified training providers that can provide us with training; our next step will be to interact with the community and organizations that may use the ISTQB’s value to advance career and skill prospects.”
Industry participants comment
Industry participants benefit from Rwanda’s participation in the global software testing community as it works toward its goal of becoming Africa’s technological powerhouse.
According to Nostalgie Patrice, a Kigali-based software developer, most professionals in the local market are lone testers who haven’t yet belonged to a community.
“Meetings offer a venue for lone testers to discuss current projects and learn about the technology other businesses are using,” as stated by the association representing testers.
Atricie, who oversees software training and consulting for HView Tech Group in the area and also serves as its chief executive, declared that “software is being born every day.” such as ChatGPT and generative AI, to name a couple. Additionally, access to several of these large software programs is granted to ISTQB members.