Ethiopian startup Gebeya is launching its IT workplace platform, which provides practical IT training for individuals and highly qualified IT professionals to businesses and institutions, in Kenya.
Disrupt Africa first reported on Gebeya – which translates to “marketplace” in Amharic – in August of last year. The startup aims to provide a marketplace for top IT talent to showcase and contribute their experience and skills to software projects. For businesses, it offers access to a pool of talent.
“Gebeya allows IT professionals to target their skills and expertise to the businesses that need them while getting compensated at top market rates,” said chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder Amadou Daffe.
“Kenya has the highest level of internet penetration and is home to a lot of multinationals and Fortune 500 companies that will accelerate customer acquisition. Kenya’s technology industry is nearing maturity; with a current population of 47 million, internet penetration stands at 52.3 per cent, placing it in the lead board in Africa. This has increased the use of technology to foster growth and efficiency – which has, in turn, led to increased demand for highly skilled professionals in the IT sector.”
The startup has been created based on the fact that the sharp increase in demand for well-rounded IT professionals has exposed the lack of professionalism among the individuals responsible for building the architecture.
This means projects take longer to complete as a significant number of programmers are not adequately equipped with the skills required to handle the scope of projects in today’s dynamic market.
