What motivated us to participate in the Global Tech Awards?

At Toresttech, our mission has always been simple: make IT support accessible, respected, and truly transformative across Africa and beyond. So when the opportunity to participate in the Global Tech Awards came up, it felt like a natural extension of the work we’ve been doing. We saw it not just as a chance to showcase our innovation, but as a platform to spotlight an area of tech that is often overlooked—yet absolutely essential to the functioning of every digital ecosystem.

Overview of the innovation we submitted :

Our innovation is the Toresttech IT Support Education & Community Ecosystem; a structured, practical, and community-powered learning environment designed specifically for IT Support professionals across Africa.

It focuses on bridging three major gaps:

1. Skills Gap –providing industry-relevant, hands-on training that reflects real workplace needs.
2. Career Gap –giving IT Support professionals clear, intentional pathways for leveling up, specialization, and leadership.
3. Community Gap – building strong network where professionals can learn, ask questions, get mentorship, and grow together.

The ecosystem includes:

• • Live training sessions
  • Real-world troubleshooting labs
  • Mentorship from practicing IT engineers
  • A WhatsApp and virtual community for daily interaction
  • Career guidance, growth pathways, and interview preparation
  • Collaboration with recruiters and companies seeking talent

Our innovation focuses on people development empowering the professionals who keep organizations running.

How our team worked together to build this innovation

Our team combined their individual strengths:

• • Our IT Support engineers contributed real-world insights from years of hands-on experience.
  • Our trainers designed learning modules based on the most urgent skill gaps in today’s tech ecosystem.
  • Our community managers ensured engagement and created a safe, inclusive learning space.
  • Our leadership team shaped the strategic direction and ensured alignment with industry needs.

We built this innovation the same way strong IT teams operate collaboratively, iteratively, and with the goal of delivering real impact.

The impact we anticipate

We expect this innovation to reshape the IT Support landscape globally by:

• • Raising the standard of IT Supports kills and professionalism
  • Making entry into tech more accessible for young people
  • Creating a community where learning is continuous and collaborative
  • Empowering professionals with the confidence and knowledge to take on higher-level roles
  • Expanding the representation of African IT Support talent in global tech teams
  • Reducing the talent shortage companies face when hiring IT professionals

Ultimately, our goal is to turn IT Support into one of the most respected and future-ready fields in global tech.

Challenges we faced & how we overcame them

One major challenge was the lack of an existing model to follow, most global IT communities don’t reflect global infrastructure, challenges, or business needs. We had to build everything from scratch and design it to be globally relevantand practically useful.

Another challenge was engagement. IT Support professionals often work long hours, so building a structure they could commit to required flexibility. We overcame this by offering short, high-impact live sessions, asynchronous resources, and community-led discussions.

Funding and scaling were also challenges, but strategic partnerships and high-impact outcomes helped us gain momentum.

How we foster a culture of innovation

Innovation at Toresttech comes from curiosity and community. We encourage:

• • Open conversations
  • Feedback-driven improvements
  • Sharing real-world problems to spark solutions
  • Constant learning and upskilling
  • A “test, learn, refine” mindset

We believe innovation happens when people feel safe, supported, and encouraged to experiment.

Advice to other companies striving to make an impact

Focus on the people.Technology evolves, but the professionals behind it must evolve too. Build solutions that are relevant to your environment, not copied from outside. And invest in community. The most powerful innovations grow when people connect, learn, and support one another.

Our future goals & how we plan to advance

Our future goals include:

• • Scaling our community across the globe
  • Building structured learning pathways for different IT Support specializations
  • Partnering with global tech organizations for certification opportunities
  • Creating internship and job channels for our community members
  • Developing an IT Support career accelerator program
  • Hosting conferences, meetups, and bootcamps focused on IT Support

We want Toresttech to become the largest and most impactful IT Support community in the world.

Emerging technologies and trends we’re excited about

We are particularly excited about:

• • AI-assisted IT Support learning
  • Automation tools that enhance, not replace, support roles
  • Cloud-native troubleshooting
  • Cybersecurity for everyday support professionals
  • The rise of remote-first IT Support roles across Africa

These trends will shape the future of IT Support and we want our community to be at the forefront of that future.