Afriwork: Connecting 300,000 Jobseekers with 50,000 SMEs in East Africa

Afriwork, a dynamic talent marketplace based in Ethiopia, has successfully onboarded 300,000 users and is making a significant impact by assisting 50,000 SMEs in discovering and hiring talented individuals.

The platform, founded in 2018, offers an innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution tailored to streamline HR activities for small businesses, with a primary emphasis on connecting them with a diverse pool of talent.

CEO and co-founder Semegn Tadesse highlighted the unique features of Afriwork, stating, "Additionally, we have developed a dynamic two-sided marketplace that operates in conjunction with our SaaS platform. This marketplace serves as a robust ecosystem, providing skilled individuals not only with local job prospects but also opening doors to international opportunities."

The startup's growth has been impressive, with over 300,000 jobseekers onboarded and more than 70,000 successful job matches facilitated to date.

Tadesse expressed gratitude for the widespread adoption, citing a remarkable 90 percent word-of-mouth virality since the company's inception.

Afriwork addresses a critical need in the market, particularly in East Africa, where 50 percent of graduates grapple with unemployment annually, despite the presence of 30 million SMEs crucial to employment.

The CEO explained, "These SMEs are in a perpetual quest for talented individuals to propel their ventures forward. Simultaneously, the region witnesses the seamless integration of technology into the lives of 30 million social media users. This scenario sparked our innovation."

Self-funded and currently at a break-even point, Afriwork generates revenue through subscriptions and an escrow-based two-sided marketplace for outsourcing services.

While currently operating exclusively in Ethiopia, the company has ambitious plans for expansion.

Tadesse stated, "We are actively pursuing expansion plans to cover East Africa in the near future."

Afriwork's mission is to empower businesses to efficiently manage human resources while providing talented individuals with diverse career paths, both locally and globally.

Tom Jackson / Disrupt Africa