by cmaclay | Jan 17, 2024 | Unpacking the Box
By Scott Hinkle, Systems Change Specialist, Wasafiri The looming jobs crisis for young people in Africa In the next 10 years, African countries will add more people to the workforce than the rest of the world combined. However, while 10 to 12 million youth will enter...
by cmaclay | Dec 15, 2023 | Research
By Chris Maclay and Mercy Mangeni Gig workers on jobtech platforms in ride-hailing have traditionally been poorly serviced by financial service providers offering service insurance, loans, or savings. Actors such as CGAP have been exploring how to embed financial...
by cmaclay | Dec 13, 2023 | Research
By Janet Wandia & Wairimu Gitahi The name of the Ethiopian startup GoodayOn is a play on words. In Amharic, GoodayOn (ጉዳይ) translates to ‘errand’ and can also be interpreted in English as ‘a good day.’ Alem Abreha, the founder of...
by cmaclay | Dec 11, 2023 | Research
We all want to see a gender-inclusive revolution in Africa’s digital economy. And jobtech might very well bring it! Women are increasingly connected with diverse work opportunities ranging from e-commerce to freelance gigs, as well as more traditional roles in...
by cmaclay | Oct 26, 2023 | Jobtech Alliance Memo
Author: Crowdsourced from the Jobtech Alliance Team The Jobtech Alliance turned two years old on 26 October 2023. What started as an informal Zoom call with 41 people on 26 October 2021 became a community of 350 a year later, when we launched our new website and...
by cmaclay | Oct 20, 2023 | Why We Invested
By Mercy Mangeni & Wairimu Gitahi More than 70% of people living in Africa buy essential goods such as food, beverages, and personal care items through informal retail establishments like corner shops and kiosks. These transactions mainly involve cash and...
by cmaclay | Oct 19, 2023 | Why We Invested
By Salma Nkusi & Carmen Merab Across many West African countries, the informal service sector relies on traditional methods like word of mouth or small roadside signs to advertise their work. In this context, skilled artisans often struggle to secure decent...
by cmaclay | Oct 4, 2023 | Unpacking the Box
By Chris Maclay When I started my career in youth employment over a decade ago, a prevailing narrative pervaded the NGO space: “This is Jessica. She used to be unemployed. Now she has a chicken. And she is therefore employed.” This narrative wasn’t true then and it...
by cmaclay | Sep 28, 2023 | Why We Invested
Jacob Winiecki Africa is experiencing a massive youth bulge: over 100 million young people are expected to enter the workforce by 2030. Unfortunately, there is a severe shortage of formal jobs to absorb this influx of labor. This lack of economic opportunity is one of...
by cmaclay | Sep 21, 2023 | Why We Invested
Joshua Ebinabo War & Wairimu Gitahi Informal channels, like WhatsApp and Instagram, serve as a significant conduit for online commerce. This way of doing business has gained considerable traction, especially among the youth, owing to its minimal initial...
