There are some success stories like http://softtribe.com from Ghana. This story gives some of the http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/it/the-african-hacker background. The opportunity that SoftTribe went for was unique. In Africa every country has different pay roll taxes, and it is too expensive for the likes of the multi nationals to keep up with each country, SoftTribe fills this niche.

I worked with them for a year. I was the only non African. There where challenges like fending off kind hearted westerners who had less skills then the Ghanains and wanted to come over and be boss. Competing against NGO for staff (Western NGO's have the highest salaries).