Gebeya to boost 100 thriving marketplaces

Driven by their insatiable urge to transform Africa’s digital Technology Scene, an online freelance marketplace, Gebeya, is spreading its wings to empower more Marketplaces through leveling global and continental job opportunities.
Gebeya Company, which means market place in Amharic, (Ethiopia’s official language), is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and it brings together highly skilled, certified and multilingual talent across the globe.

The company’s vision is to ensure a competitive skilled labourforce and innovative startups to drive digital transformation.  certified, and multilingual African talent on aIt has now broadened its imprint, extending its services to Kenya, Nigeria, the UK, and beyond.
“We are more than just a marketplace,” explains Amadou Daffe, the co-founder and CEO of Gebeya.

“Our mission is to empower East Africa’s digital economy by developing a sustainable and scalable talent ecosystem,” he added.
He explained that Gebeya’s influence is significant since it will deliver a new generation of skilled developers ready to meet the industry’s job demands.

“We are not establishing the Marketplaces, but providing support for existing marketplaces to thrive. We are not building these marketplaces from scratch, but rather, finding already existing marketplaces with solid entrepreneurs behind them, and supporting them.” Mr Daffe says.

Why the roll out?
East Africa's tech industry is witnessing unprecedented growth, with startups across the region transforming their respective sectors, yet a significant challenge remains – a shortage of skilled developers.

In order to address such challenges, Ethiopian entrepreneurs Daffe and Hiruy Amanuel founded Gebeya in 2016, with an aim of training and connecting pre-vetted tech talents with African companies.
Gebeya’s mission to empower and grow East Africa’s digital economy is hinged on developing a sustainable and scalable talent ecosystem that meets the demands of the tech industry.

In January, the talent marketplace secured an undisclosed Pre Series A funding, signaling its transition from a conventional two-sided tech talent marketplace to a provider of Marketplaces under the Marketplace-as-a-Service model.

Access to funding however remains a major challenge entrepreneurs face in East Africa.
It is upon this background that Gebeya plans to reinvest funds in 100 East African marketplaces and intends to extend its technical support to assist 1000 marketplace entrepreneurs across Africa in the next few years to scale up the African gig economy.

Gebeya has already begun executing this initiative to achieve this goal, forging partnerships and offering marketplace-as-a-service to Lifeline Addis Home-based Healthcare, Eshi Express, Utentic, and YeneHealth, among other pioneer marketplaces.
This initiative is part of the company’s $48 million partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, tagged Mesirat (which means to work).

This innovative five-year program aims to equip 100 entrepreneurs in East Africa with multi-sided gig marketplaces, allowing them to create jobs and generate sustainable income while contributing to the Country’s economic growth.
Additionally, the partnership will equip two million young people with market-facing skills and provide one million (70% women) with employment opportunities.

According to Bernard Laurendeau, the Managing Partner at Laurendeau & Associates and a Mesirat partner, the gig economy can potentially diffuse the ‘ticking time bomb’ of creating close to 8,000 jobs every business day in the Ethiopian economy. Gebeya's plans to support existing East African marketplaces is an excellent initiative.

By bridging the talent gap in the tech industry and equipping entrepreneurs with the skills they need to thrive, Gebeya is helping to create jobs and grow Africa’s economy, he says.