A more competitive market since 2026
Devex noted in February 2026 that development employment in Africa is tightening after the dismantling of USAID and cuts by European donors. Pay and seniority levels are falling, while demand for local professionals is rising with localisation.
UN Careers, the official gateway to the UN
The UN publishes its positions on UN Careers, its official recruitment portal, with a searchable feed of vacancies. Titles such as Field Security Coordination Officer, Information Systems Assistant or Associate Political Affairs Officer appear there. Read each job description in full before preparing your application.
National and international posts
Agencies distinguish between international posts, open to all nationalities, and national officer posts, reserved for nationals of the duty-station country. A Human Rights Officer, NOC vacancy illustrates this second category, accessible to African candidates without relocating abroad.
The African Development Bank in Abidjan
The AfDB publishes its vacancies on its current vacancies page. On 9 October 2026, two programmes were listed: 2027 internships, closing on 12 October, and the Mo Ibrahim leadership fellowship, closing on 20 November. The guide working in Côte d'Ivoire describes the local context.
The AfDB Young Professionals Programme
Created in 2008, this three-year programme is not an internship. It requires nationality of a member country, an age of 32 or under, a relevant master's degree, three years of experience linked to the High 5 priorities and fluency in English or French.
Consultants and short-term contracts
Besides permanent positions, the AfDB has dedicated sections for consultants, short-term staff and internships. These one-off contracts often allow you to become known to teams before a longer appointment, with no guarantee of extension.
The World Bank and its career paths
The World Bank presents its career streams on its careers pages and held a recruitment campaign dedicated to Africa in September 2024. Finance profiles will find detailed opportunities on our page banking and finance jobs.
Kenya, DRC, Nigeria: the development hubs
Excluding the UN, major INGOs and multilateral banks, Devex counted over twelve months in 2024 some 3,246 vacancies in Kenya, 1,534 in the DR Congo, 1,245 in Nigeria, 944 in Egypt and 842 in South Africa. One Acre Fund led in Kenya.
Aggregators worth watching
ReliefWeb offers a search with filters. Devex allows searches by region, for example East Africa. Impactpool brings together positions from the UN, NGOs and the European Union, such as Regional Controller or Associate Nutrition and Food Security Officer.
NGOs and agencies: frequent bridges
Many careers alternate between international NGOs and UN agencies. Devex cites, for instance, UNOPS in Uganda and ChildFund International in Sierra Leone. The non-profit path is presented in NGO and humanitarian jobs.
Building a competitive application
Organisations assess competencies using concrete examples, often against a precise scoring grid. You should reuse the exact wording of the vacancy notice, illustrate each criterion with a measurable achievement and prepare for structured interviews based on real situations.
The growing weight of networks
Devex stresses that networks matter more in 2026. Attending recruitment events, following country teams and maintaining professional contacts helps you spot openings, but does not exempt you from the formal application procedures, which remain mandatory.
Verified recruitment portals
- UN Careers: Official recruitment portal of the United Nations, with searchable vacancies and a job feed.
- Banque africaine de développement – postes vacants: AfDB vacancies page, headquartered in Abidjan, covering internships, consultants and short-term staff.
- BAD – programme Jeunes Professionnels: Eligibility requirements for the three-year programme reserved for master's holders aged 32 or under.
- Banque mondiale – carrières: Official pages describing World Bank career streams, supplemented by a set of answers to common questions.
- ReliefWeb Jobs: Aggregator of humanitarian and development vacancies, with 824 results on 9 October 2026, filterable by country.
- Impactpool: Platform listing UN, NGO and European Union vacancies, with pages by country and by category.
- Devex Jobs: International development job search, filterable by region, including East Africa.
Applying step by step
- Identify the organisations whose mandate matches your expertise and create a profile on their official portals.
- Check the nationality, age, degree and experience requirements before starting an application.
- Write a complete profile that reuses the exact competencies requested in each job description.
- Set up alerts on ReliefWeb, Devex and Impactpool so that you do not miss closing dates.
- Prepare quantified examples for written tests and competency-based interviews.
- Keep copies of degrees, employment certificates and references ready to send quickly.
International recruitment indicators
| Indicator | Value | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancies listed on ReliefWeb | 824 | ReliefWeb, 9 October 2026 |
| Open positions at the AfDB | 2 (2027 internships, Mo Ibrahim fellowship) | AfDB, 9 October 2026 |
| Maximum age for the AfDB YPP | 32 at the time of application | AfDB, eligibility requirements |
| Length of the AfDB YPP | 3 years | AfDB, programme overview |
| Development vacancies in Kenya | 3,246 over 12 months | Devex, November 2024 |
A typical candidate file
- Online profile or organisation-specific form, filled in completely
- Copies of degrees, including the master's for professional officer posts
- Employment certificates covering every year of experience declared
- Proof of proficiency in English or French
- Contact details of professional referees
- Valid passport for international posts
Common candidate mistakes
- Paying an intermediary who promises a UN job: international organisations never charge application or processing fees.
- Replying to a message offering a UN contract from a free email address instead of checking the vacancy on the official portal.
- Sending the same generic CV everywhere without reflecting the precise competencies required in each job description.
- Applying to the AfDB YPP after the age of 32 or without three years of relevant experience, which makes the application ineligible under the published conditions.
- Missing a closing date: vacancies often close a few weeks after publication, as with the 2027 AfDB internship.
What candidates ask
How do I apply to the UN from Africa?
You must go through UN Careers, the official UN recruitment portal, and then respond to vacancies one by one. National officer posts are reserved for nationals of the duty-station country, which opens up opportunities without relocating abroad.
What are the requirements of the AfDB Young Professionals Programme?
Be a national of a member country, be 32 or under, hold a relevant master's degree, show at least three years of experience linked to the High 5 priorities, including experience in Africa or a developing region, and be fluent in English or French.
Where can I find international organisation vacancies in Africa?
Official portals such as UN Careers or the AfDB page remain the reference. ReliefWeb, Devex and Impactpool also aggregate vacancies from agencies, NGOs and the European Union, with search and filtering tools, for example by region.
Is it harder to work in development in 2026?
Yes, according to Devex: after the dismantling of USAID and European cuts, competition has increased, and salaries and the seniority of positions are falling. On the other hand, demand for local professionals is growing as programmes are localised.
Which African country recruits most in development?
Kenya came first with 3,246 vacancies over twelve months according to Devex in November 2024, ahead of the DR Congo, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa. This ranking excludes the UN, major INGOs and multilateral banks.
Official sources
BAD : offres de consultantsafdb.org
UN Careers : flux d'offrescareers.un.org
Banque mondiale : recrutement Afrique 2024worldbank.org
Information up to date as of October 2026. AfriqueJob.com does not recruit and never asks for money: beware of offers that demand fees.