Amadou Daffe, the CEO and co-founder of Gebeya Inc., proudly represented Ethiopia in the 2022 edition of the Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) Prize Competition, where he emerged as one of the top 10 finalists out of 21,000 applicants from across Africa. Daffe, who hails from Ethiopia, has an inspiring entrepreneurial journey that has led him to build Gebeya, a leading talent accelerator and online marketplace that connects African tech talent with global opportunities.
In his own words, Daffe shares the motivation behind founding Gebeya: “Africa is the world’s youngest continent, and we’re predicted to remain so for years to come. However, we face a significant challenge of unemployment among most of our youth. It dawned on me: why can’t we create opportunities right here in Africa? So, I decided to build the next generation of tech talent in Africa that can service the world in IT. This, among other things, motivated me to start Gebeya.”
Gebeya has since grown to become a pan-African operation, expanding to 32 countries across the continent in just one year. The company has trained thousands of young Africans in technology skills, building a pipeline of talent that is now serving global companies.
Daffe’s participation in the ABH competition in 2022 is a testament to the contributions Ethiopian entrepreneurs are making to the continent’s economic development. It is the Jack Ma Foundation’s flagship philanthropic program in Africa to support entrepreneurs. This initiative aims to showcase and grow local business talent who are creating positive impact in their communities and beyond and inspire a movement of African entrepreneurship. Over a 10-year period, the program will recognize 100 African entrepreneurs and provide grant funding, training programs, and broader support for the African entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“I have three passions in life – talent, Africa, and technology. I’m here to inspire all the young Africans who are looking up to us, to see how they can make their next move in life,” Daffe said.
Since its inception in 2019, ABH has spotlighted and supported some of the continent’s brightest entrepreneurial minds. Over the last five years, the ABH top 10 finalists, known as “Heroes,” have collectively created 123,000 direct and indirect jobs across Africa, while serving over 37.5 million customers within Africa and beyond. They have also raised over US$153 million (not counting debt raises) and operate in 52 African countries, demonstrating the widespread impact and success of their ventures across the continent.
2024 is ABH’s sixth year out of the 10-year commitment for this initiative.
The 2024 edition of the ABH competition kicked off in March and applications closed on June 9, 2024. The top 50 finalists will be announced by August after an intense round of assessment, followed by the selection of the top 10 in September. The top 10 finalists will compete for a share of $1.5 million in grant money, in addition to invaluable training, exposure and networking opportunities. The final winners will be unveiled at the Grand Finale in November.
“We are motivated to continue to play our part in supporting the African entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are calling on all eligible African entrepreneurs who are creating positive impact to join us in this journey!” says Zahra Baitie, Managing Director, Africa at Africa’s Business Heroes.
With entrepreneurs like Amadou Daffe representing Ethiopia, the nation’s entrepreneurial talent shines on the continent’s biggest entrepreneurial stage. Watch out for the announcement of this year’s top 50 finalists to know how many Ethiopian entrepreneurs have represented the country and to follow their entrepreneurial journey in this pan-African initiative.
For more information about ABH 2024 edition, please visit https://africabusinessheroes.org/en/ and follow ABH on X (https://apo-opa.info/3KY3OQs), LinkedIn (https://apo-opa.info/3L1Cgda), Instagram (https://apo-opa.info/3KZTXKa), Facebook (https://apo-opa.info/3ylgNE9) and YouTube (https://apo-opa.info/3YDG5bH).
