Zoho Broadens Reach of Young Creators Program Throughout East Africa

Zoho has really stepped up its game by broadening the Young Creators Program throughout East Africa, bringing exciting opportunities to both students and professionals eager to build real digital skills. The focus here is on low-code application development, a practical way to create business apps even if you’re not a hardcore coder. 

This expansion saw workshops being held in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Madagascar, where over 150 people got hands-on experience designing and launching useful business apps using Zoho Creator. These workshops were organized in partnership with local institutions in each country, making sure the training was grounded in the realities of the communities involved.

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Veerakumar Natarajan, Zoho East Africa’s Regional Manager, put it simply: “Through the Young Creators Program, we are helping students and professionals across East Africa gain the tools and confidence to turn their ideas into impactful digital solutions.” The goal? To make tech education not just something that lives in textbooks but something practical and accessible—powering young people to solve everyday challenges and help grow Africa’s digital future.

A cool part of the program is introducing participants to Zoho Creator’s AI assistant called CoCreator, which uses AI to help build apps just by describing your ideas in everyday language. The workshops didn’t just cover basics like forms, reports, workflows, and analytics; they also got into more advanced stuff like integrating different systems, customizing interfaces, mobile app deployment, and managing whole solutions. It was all about showing how low-code tools can boost entrepreneurship, simplify processes, and inspire fresh innovation.

For example, the Kenya workshop took place at EldoHub and attracted 42 participants. These included developers, entrepreneurs, and professionals who were getting their first taste of low-code development. Among them was Leonard Bett, a national steeplechase athlete, who joined to develop a platform for managing and analyzing athletic performance.

Sarah Towet, Co-Founder and Programs Lead at EldoHub, was excited about what this meant for the community: “Zoho’s low-code platform opens opportunities for anyone to innovate, no matter their background. This partnership shows how technology can empower young people and professionals alike to create solutions that really make a difference locally.”

In Uganda, Zoho teamed up with Analytics Business Centre to focus on women in tech via a Women in Software Engineering edition of the Young Creators Program. This workshop had 43 participants—students, professionals, and entrepreneurs—all getting practical skills for innovating in business and digital entrepreneurship.

Primera Muthoni, CEO and Founder of Women in Software Engineering Uganda, shared how important this was: “Our collaboration with Zoho fits perfectly with our mission to upskill and empower women through technology. It’s amazing to see participants leaving confident, ready to build apps that foster innovation and financial independence.”

Tanzania hosted its first YCP workshop in Dar es Salaam at the Institute of Technology, where 24 computer science students received training in low-code app development. Dr. Haji Fimbombaya, who leads the Computer Studies department there, highlighted the value: “This program offers our students valuable exposure to industry tools. It complements our curriculum and prepares graduates for a fast-changing digital economy.”

Meanwhile, in Madagascar, Zoho joined forces with Belgian partner BrainSolutions and Inclusive Academy to hold a session in Antananarivo. This workshop drew 27 participants, many new to programming, who learned how to turn their ideas into working applications.

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Anna Andruamialivelo, Tech Lead at BrainSolutions Madagascar, summed up the impact: “We’re proud to see how initiatives like the Young Creators Program can boost young talent in Madagascar. Working with Zoho has helped us bring accessible and practical digital skills to eager learners. Watching beginners gain the confidence to create real apps using low-code tools has been truly inspiring. This partnership strengthens our local tech scene and opens doors for the next generation of Malagasy developers.”

Overall, Zoho broadens the Young Creators Program throughout East Africa not just as a one-off effort, but as part of a bigger mission to foster digital literacy and innovation. Since launching in 2022, this program has trained over 4,000 people worldwide, helping them build skills that work for tech careers or their own entrepreneurial projects. This expansion across East Africa is another step in making sure more young innovators get the tools and support they need to bring their digital ideas to life.

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