Senior Software Engineer

UmkhoAI is pioneering innovative solutions with the development of the world's first offline national AI ecosystem, designed specifically for African governments, private sector, and the general South African public. As a collective of innovators, we are dedicated to driving progress in the continent by leveraging localized data, languages, and systems to shape a brighter future for our nation, 100% offline. Our mission centers on empowering African nations through technological self-reliance and the establishment of African-driven AI innovation that can truly process native languages. Our work represents a commitment to creating technology not just by Africans, for Africans, but in a way that will push entire African Nations Forward.
LOCATION
Randburg, South Africa (full time, remote or hybrid)
TYPE
Contractor
REPORTS TO
Interim CTO / Chief Executive Officer
WORKS CLOSELY WITH
Chief Operating Officer, Technical Team
Offline first
Systems must keep working even when the internet disappears.
Field ready
Comfortable solving hardware and network problems on site, not just in an office.
Team contributor
Works hands-on within a small technical team through real deployments.
The role: UmkhoAI builds Lesedi, an offline-first AI system for schools, organizations, and governments across Southern Africa. We install private AI boxes in real school buildings, often with weak power, bad Wi-Fi, and old computers. We need a Senior Software Engineer who can build and ship in exactly these conditions, not just write code in an office.
This role carries a genuine path forward: after a defined probationary period, strong performance opens the door to a Founding Board position, with the equity, governance involvement, and long-term ownership that comes with it. This is a role for someone who wants to build something lasting, not just take a job.
ROLE OVERVIEWWhat you will do
Contribute directly to the full technical architecture, including both a connected setup (Plan A) and a fully offline, self-contained setup (Plan B)
Work within a small technical team covering infrastructure, RAG and curriculum data, frontend, and speech tools
Build robust, production-grade features, not just prototypes
Build and maintain recovery systems, so a server setup can be rebuilt from a backup drive if something breaks
Work with servers directly, sometimes in person, to install and test systems on site
Collaborate closely with the Interim CTO and COO on technical decisions, timelines, and delivery
What you must know well
Programming languages: Python, C++, JavaScript/TypeScript, Java
Frontend: React, React Native (bonus)
Linux (Ubuntu), Docker, Docker Compose
Cloud infrastructure: AWS (EC2, S3, IAM) — hands-on, production-level experience
Running AI models locally with tools like Ollama or vLLM
Model training and fine-tuning: PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face Transformers
GPU hardware, VRAM limits, and model performance tuning
Networking basics: DHCP, DNS, routers, firewalls, subnets
RAG systems and vector databases, such as Chroma, Qdrant, or FAISS
Relational databases and SQL — production data modeling and management
REST API design and third-party integrations
Speech tools such as Whisper for speech-to-text, and Piper or Coqui for text-to-speech
Building systems that work fully offline, with no internet dependency
Strong fundamentals across backend and frontend development
What you need
5 or more years in software engineering, with real experience shipping working products to real users, not just prototypes
Comfortable traveling to remote sites and solving hardware problems on the spot
Full time, based in South Africa
Clear, upfront communication and availability — this is a hands-on, present role, not a remote-and-occasionally-check-in one
Strong plus
Fluency in one or more South African indigenous languages (isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele, or others) — directly relevant to a platform built to genuinely process and serve native-language users, not just localize around them
Experience with multilingual systems or languages spoken in South Africa
Experience in low-resource or low-connectivity environments
Experience with government or education sector deployment
Video game engineering or app development experience — engines like Unity or Unreal (C++/C#), or mobile app development (Swift, Kotlin, React Native, Flutter). This background often brings exactly the skills offline AI deployment needs: tight performance optimization under hardware constraints, building for devices with limited memory and processing power, offline-first design patterns (local save states, asset caching, graceful degradation without a network connection), and real experience shipping polished, responsive user experiences on constrained systems.
Path to Founding Board
Defined probationary period (to be confirmed at offer stage)
Clear, documented performance criteria assessed throughout
On successful completion: invitation to join UmkhoAI's Founding Board, including equity participation structured through a standard, fully documented vesting agreement
All governance documentation (employment agreement, board appointment, CIPC registration, equity issuance) completed and filed properly and promptly at each stage — no informal arrangements, no undocumented promises.

Work arrangement
Yes