The partnership between the two looks at a range of opportunities for Africans in tech globally.
Gebeya Inc., the Pan-African marketplace for freelance professional talent, today announced a new partnership with the Blacks In Technology (BIT) Foundation, a global community providing training, networking, and mentorship services to benefit people of African descent in the field of technology.
“We recognise that a coalition between our organisations will have faster, more powerful, and more impactful traction if we come together, especially now,” says Amadou Daffe, CEO & Co-founder, Gebeya. “The need to create strong ties between organisations with similar objectives is crucial in empowering African talent and bridging the gap in the supply and demand side in Africa and the Americas,” he added.
The powerful alliance between the two organisations will address both demand and supply-side of skilled tech talent by becoming a connective medium for a global professional network and freelance marketplace. Software engineering talent from the BIT network will have the opportunity to pass through Gebeya’s rigorous vetting processes and instantly access a broad range of benefits; such as internationally-accredited upskilling programmes and job opportunities. Similarly, Gebeya will double its pool of exclusive talent for its marketplace as well as expand its client base to match them with hiring companies on various continents.
“We’re thrilled to announce this strategic partnership which will reinforce and expand the resources we offer to our members,” says Dennis Schultz, Executive Director, Blacks In Technology Foundation. Dennis added, “We currently offer job boards, career fairs, professional networking opportunities, and mentorship to advance career readiness. We also host events, and conferences, and provide technical training resources. Now, we will build a bridge with a talent partner based in Africa and we couldn’t be more excited.”
The exponential growth of the tech industry and such co-operations that are aligned in purpose initiate the realisation of a broader picture for Black professionals globally. The disproportionate employment of Black Americans in the US (just more than 6 per cent), and the surging unemployment in African countries that are considered to have the highest ecosystems, including experienced and senior-level tech talent deficit across Africa, are significant grounds to tap into talents of people of African descent.
This partnership will have a significant role in sustainably. It will be addressing the tech industry and employment challenges of the continent by leveraging African talent. It will also build a widespread network that connects them to companies aiming to close the gap on racial disparity. Furthermore, this will be beneficial in connecting people inextricably linked in culture, language, and creativity to work together and support one another.
Gebeya will grow its capacity and connect freelancers in the Diaspora to African-Americans, Caribbeans, and newly-migrated Africans. The BIT global community composed of more than 17,000 members of African descent across five continents will join Gebeya’s Pan-African network of tech professionals which is expected to grow to 1 million by end of 2022.
African talent now has access to a network of professionals and job opportunities globally, thereby ensuring their capabilities are harnessed in today’s competitive tech landscape. Employers globally supporting DE&I (diversity, equity, and inclusion) will also have access to a wide pool of specific talents vetted by Gebeya, through the BIT platform. This partnership opens opportunities to potential partners for upskilling, mentoring, advisement, and other resources to get in on the ground level and work towards a shared vision of advancing Black professionals in tech and access top talent from around the world.
