As the hunt for software engineering talent moves beyond traditional hubs like Eastern Europe and India, the industry is seeing a strategic pivot toward the African continent. Israeli software services firm Commit has announced the acquisition of Savannah, a bootstrapped platform that recruits and manages senior developers across Africa.

The deal, estimated to be worth several million dollars in cash, marks a formal entry into the African market for Commit. It signals a growing trend among global tech firms to diversify their talent pipelines as established outsourcing markets become increasingly saturated and expensive.

The Deal at a Glance

• Acquirer: Commit (Global software services)
• Target: Savannah (African tech talent platform)
• Price: Undisclosed (estimated at several million dollars)
• Structure: Cash acquisition; Savannah’s team and founder will join Commit’s offshore division.

Moving beyond Eastern Europe

For years, tech companies in Europe and Israel have relied heavily on talent from Eastern Europe (specifically Ukraine, Poland, and Romania) and India. However, geopolitical instability in some regions and rising labor costs in others have forced a rethink.

Commit already manages hundreds of developers in Eastern Europe. By acquiring Savannah, the company is betting that countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya represent the next major wave of high-end software talent. These regions offer a large pool of English-speaking engineers who have matured through local tech booms and are increasingly proficient in AI-driven development tools.

“Savannah will now operate as part of our offshore division,” says Evgeny Golubov, CEO of Commit Offshore. The move allows Commit to offer its clients — which include high-growth startups and enterprises — a more diverse geographical footprint for their R&D teams.

Bootstrapped to Acquired: The Savannah Story

Founded in late 2022 by Itai Azogui, Savannah was built on a lean model. Without raising any external venture capital, the firm scaled to more than 100 developers within three years.

Azogui, a former senior product manager who worked on the ground in Accra, Ghana, noticed a disconnect: the quality of local engineering talent was high, but the infrastructure to connect them with well-funded global startups was missing.

Savannah’s model differs from traditional recruitment. It focuses on:

• Dedicated R&D Teams: Building long-term teams rather than short-term “gig” placements.
• Niche Expertise: Specializing in senior-level talent for companies like Aqua Security, Port, and Bright Data.
• Integration: Handling the administrative and cultural onboarding to ensure African developers are embedded directly into Israeli and European R&D workflows.

The acquisition is a validation of the “talent is universal, opportunity is not” thesis that has gained traction across the global south.

“Three years ago, while working in Accra, I was exposed to a sense of community and dedication that reminded me of home,” Azogui said in a statement. “Our engineers across the continent have proven that great talent can thrive anywhere.”

As Savannah integrates into Commit, the challenge will be scaling this “boutique” approach to talent. With the 2026 M&A market showing signs of consolidation — evidenced by recent deals like CrowdStrike’s acquisition of Seraphic — Commit’s move suggests that the battle for the next decade of tech growth will be won by those who can most efficiently tap into emerging markets.