Do the ones that exist really rely on a CS degree? Or might a smart, dedicated hacker be just as useful, if not moreso?
Not really, the market in North africa is tightly related to france market. In france, having a degree is almost a must. You can't hack yourself around things unless you are really very very lucky. Even career changes are looked upon badly. Example: you are an engineer and you want to switch to management, unless you have a degree in management, you will have a hard time moving up the ladder. The franco system is very very different from the Anglo-saxson system where people are more risky and hacking around the system is rewarded.
Why not start a company that hires all these outstanding engineers who, for whatever reason, don't have degrees? It seems like a fantastic way to jump ahead of your illogically-prejudiced competitors.