World
Russia Recruiting African Specialists
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
With thousands conscripted into the army to fight in neighbouring Ukraine, several more thousands escaping military mobilization and migrating abroad, Russia currently lacks highly skilled labor for offices and unskilled labour for its industries, agriculture and construction. Reports indicated Russian employment agencies are seriously recruiting all kinds of employees, both skilled and unskilled, from Africa.
HeadHunters, a recruitment agency’s report announced in mid-July that a boom in attracting workers from Africa against the backdrop of a shortage of personnel across Russia. According to the report, in the first half of 2024, Russian companies significantly increased their activity in searching for employees in Africa.
In particular, countries such as Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Cameroon became the leaders in terms of the growth rate of vacancies in annual terms, while the number of advertisements in a number of European countries and the United States, on the contrary, decreased. Together with experts, RBC looked into the reasons for the growing popularity of employees from Africa and the main difficulties in hiring workers from abroad.
African hiring boom
According to HeadHunters’ data for the first half of 2024, seven out of ten foreign countries with the largest increase in vacancies from Russian organizations are African countries. If in the first half of 2023 in each of them one could find no more than 500 vacancies from Russian employers, then in the first six months of this year the number of job offers has increased multiple times, in some cases tens of times, analysts noted in the report.
Thus, the number of vacancies increased the most in Kenya – 39 times (from 161 vacancies in the first half of 2023 to 6.4 thousand vacancies in the first half of 2024). A number of other African countries have also seen a significant increase in the number of places offered, although more modest in absolute terms. Thus, in Zimbabwe the number of vacancies increased 15 times (to 165), in Cameroon – nine times (to 130), in Zambia – eight times (to 224). In addition, a sharp increase in the number of vacancies was recorded in Algeria (seven times, up to 1.7 thousand).
Among non-African countries, the leaders in terms of growth in the number of vacancies were Albania, Pakistan and Belgium. In addition, in 2024, Russian companies posted vacancies for the first time in countries such as Nepal, the Bahamas, Barbados, Malawi, Iceland, Sierra Leone, Gabon and the Central African Republic (CAR). The total number of vacancies in the listed countries in the first half of the year reached almost 300, analysts indicated.
The fact that the geography of migration to Russia could expand at the expense of African states was previously predicted in an interview with RBC by the director of the Institute of Demographic Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Marina Khramova. She also admitted that in future, migrants from Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand or the Philippines, could be attracted to the domestic labor market.
Categories of workers for recruitment abroad
The composition of the most in-demand categories of employees when hiring from foreign countries among Russian employers has not changed over the year – these are customer service managers, IT specialists and marketers, as follows from the data on invitations to vacancies. The top ten also included specialists in the field of art and mass media, administrative personnel, workers and builders.
At the same time, the greatest increase in demand was shown by vacancies for workers in science and education – in the first half of the year, the number of invitations for employees in this field from abroad doubled. The number of invitations for foreign workers increased by 68%, agricultural specialists – by 63%, employees in the field of raw materials extraction and construction – by 53 and 51%, respectively.
It is necessary to understand that the search and invitations to employees for vacancies do not fully reflect the typical portrait of a migrant, since their hiring in general varies quite a lot depending on the specialty and region, noted Danina. “We can say with confidence that attracting migrants to positions as workers and construction workers (in general, low-skilled positions) is traditionally typical for Central Asian countries and this year for a number of African countries,” she explained.
At the same time, highly qualified specialists with knowledge of the specifics of local markets and business for the positions of marketers and account managers are sought all over the world, and the search for top managers this year was concentrated in the UAE, Serbia, Turkey, Thailand.
The number of African specialists who enter Russia is growing every year, noted Vsevolod Sviridov, an expert at the Center for African Studies at the Faculty of World Economy and International Politics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. “African labor migrants occupy completely different niches in the labor market: some are actually employed in fairly low-skilled professions, for example in construction, work in warehouses, in agriculture, while others occupy high management positions in large Russian companies, the expert on Africa pointed out to local Russian media.
A recent example is Timothy Musa Kabba, a graduate of the Mining University in St. Petersburg, who worked as a geologist for Russian oil and gas companies for almost ten years, and he is now the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sierra Leone, recalled Sviridov.
Difficulties in hiring foreigners
Employment of foreigners is associated with a number of complicating issues, notes Danina. For example, if we are talking about hiring workers or construction workers with relocation to Russia, then the main burden lies in organizing logistics (due to the lack of direct or regular flights with Russia), obtaining quotas, and the presence of language and cultural barriers in work teams. When working with highly qualified specialists from non-CIS countries, who are often hired without relocation, there may be problems with organizing financial payments, added Danina.
Migration regulation in Russia also has its own specifics, notes Sofia Luneva, a lawyer in the labor law practice at BGP Litigation. Thus, for foreigners who enter on visas, the registration procedure is the most complex, as it requires obtaining a permit to attract foreign labor for the company, an invitation from the employer to enter and a work permit for the foreigner (in a number of areas, their number may be limited by quotas).
An alternative could be the status of a highly qualified specialist – if it is available, the employee is not subject to quotas. The downside of this simplified procedure is increased costs for the employee. Registration of visa-free foreign citizens is much simpler in terms of documents.
At the same time, all migrants are required to have documents confirming that they have undergone fingerprinting, photography and medical examination. And in any case, regardless of the status of a foreign worker, the employer is obliged to notify the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs about the conclusion/termination of an employment contract within no more than three working days. In conclusion, workers and employees are required in the Russian Federation. (Report made with addition materials from Russian media).
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
For the first time in its history, the World Public Summit will be held on the African continent. On 29–30 July 2026, Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, will host the World Public Summit. Africa — “A New World: Africa in Shaping a Shared Future.”
The Summit is organised by the World Peoples Assembly in cooperation with African partner organisations. It will bring together leaders of public diplomacy, representatives of international intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, academics, experts, representatives of the education and cultural sectors, youth leaders, socially responsible businesses, media professionals, and civil society institutions from across Africa and other regions of the world.
The World Public Summit. Africa continues the work initiated during the First World Public Assembly “A New World of Conscious Unity,” held in Moscow in September 2025, and serves as one of the key milestones in preparation for the Second World Public Assembly “A New World: Values That Unite,” which will take place in Moscow on 18–19 September 2026.
Today, Africa is emerging as one of the principal centres of global development. Rapid demographic growth, expanding entrepreneurship, strengthening regional integration, rich cultural heritage, and the growing role of civil society institutions make the continent an increasingly important contributor to the future architecture of international cooperation.
The Summit will focus on issues of genuine sovereignty and sustainable development, public diplomacy, preservation of cultural and historical heritage, international cooperation in education and science, youth engagement, innovation-driven development, creative industries, and the formation of new partnerships among countries and peoples.
The main business programme of the Summit will take place on 30 July 2026 at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa. Holding the Summit at UNECA highlights its pan-African dimension and creates opportunities for broad international dialogue on humanitarian cooperation and public diplomacy.
The programme will include plenary sessions, strategic dialogues, and expert panels dedicated to values-based development, education, culture, youth leadership, innovation, and international cooperation.
Participation has already been confirmed by Professor Saidou Madougou, Director of the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the African Union; Rita Bissoonauth, Director of the UNESCO Liaison Office to the African Union and UNECA in Addis Ababa; Zuzana Schwidrowski, Director of the Macroeconomics, Finance and Governance Division of UNECA, as well as ministers, leaders of public organisations, and representatives of the business community from a number of African countries.
On the same day, the ADWA Victory Memorial Museum—Ethiopia’s national memorial complex dedicated to the Victory of Adwa and an important centre for preserving the historical memory of the Ethiopian people—will host the award ceremony of the regional stage of the V International Competition “Leader of Public Diplomacy”, followed by a large-scale cultural programme.
One of the key outcomes of the Summit will be the adoption of the African Communiqué, reflecting proposals and recommendations aimed at strengthening humanitarian, educational, cultural, and public cooperation between African countries and other regions of the world.
The outcomes, initiatives, and recommendations were developed during the World Public Summit. Africa will be presented at the Second World Public Assembly “A New World: Values That Unite”, to be held in Moscow on 18–19 September 2026.
According to Andrey Belyaninov, General Secretary of the World Peoples Assembly, “the Addis Ababa Summit is an important step toward building a new world founded on mutual respect, cultural diversity, dialogue and sustainable development.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom will get its seventh Prime Minister in 10 years as Mr Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday.
The Minister said he is stepping down as leader of the governing Labour Party and will leave office within weeks, scarcely two years after being elected in a landslide.
Mr Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until a new Labour leader is chosen by the party.
Mr Starmer made the announcement after facing growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try to revive the government’s flagging fortunes.
He led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024, but since then, his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
His departure was triggered by the victory of Mr Andy Burnham in a special election last week. The popular ex-mayor of Greater Manchester planned to challenge the existing PM for the Labour leadership.
Mr Starmer made the announcement outside the prime minister’s 10 Downing St. residence with a brief statement on Monday.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Mr Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.
Mr Starmer is the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside 10 Downing Street and announce a premature departure.
It comes the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still affects the country’s economy and politics.
Over the past decade, 10 Downing Street has had six occupants, including Mr David Cameron, who left office in 2016 after the Brexit referendum and was succeeded by Ms Theresa May. She was followed by Mr Boris Johnson, whose tenure covered Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. After Mr Johnson came Ms Liz Truss, whose 49-day premiership was the shortest in British history. Mr Rishi Sunak then took office before being succeeded by Mr Starmer, the outgoing occupant of Number 10.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A financing facility of up to $60 million has been secured by AXIAN Energy, the energy division of the AXIAN Group.
The funding package was provided by MCB, one of the leading financial institutions in the Indian Ocean region.
It comprises a $40 million revolving credit facility with a three-year tenor and extension option, and $20 million in unfunded instruments, providing AXIAN Energy with enhanced financial flexibility, enabling the company to rapidly mobilise resources and seize development opportunities across its target markets.
The energy firm is expected to use the capital to deliver large-scale energy infrastructure projects across Africa.
Over the past two years, AXIAN Energy has significantly accelerated its growth by expanding its renewable energy project pipeline, with solar projects currently under development in Senegal, Benin, Zambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, and Burkina Faso.
Building on this momentum, AXIAN Energy now operates a portfolio comprising 350 MW of installed renewable energy capacity, supported by 77 MWh of energy storage capacity, positioning the AXIAN Group as a major contributor to Africa’s energy transition.
The chief executive of AXIAN Energy, Mr Benjamin Memmi, said, “This transaction marks a key milestone in AXIAN Energy’s growth trajectory. It provides us with the financial capacity to sustain the momentum we have built over the past two years, further strengthening our renewable energy portfolio and expanding our presence across new African markets.”
Also commenting, the Global Head of Structured Finance at MCB, Mr Mathieu Delteil, said, “We are proud to support AXIAN Energy in structuring this facility, reaffirming our commitment to enabling transformative projects across Africa.
“By leveraging our sector expertise and deep understanding of regional markets, we have delivered a tailored financing solution that aligns with AXIAN’s long-term renewable energy ambitions.
“This partnership highlights our role as a strategic financial partner, mobilising capital towards investments that drive sustainable growth and accelerate the energy transition across the continent.”
The financing agreement between the two organisations strengthens their long-standing relationship because it is driven by a shared commitment to supporting infrastructure development and economic growth across Africa.
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