Kenya is emerging as one of the leading Global Business Services (GBS) market destinations and attracting more than $500 million in revenues annually, Sama AI CEO Wendy Gonzalez has disclosed. Projections show that $254 million, over half of these revenues, will come from business process outsourcing (BPO) in 2024.
Kenya has emerged as an attractive investment destination in the highly competitive GBS market, which includes BPO as a submarket. BPO has grown to include AI supply chain providers such as Sama, Gonzalez explained.
Speaking at the University of Nairobi during a public lecture on Generative AI, Gonzalez noted that the GBS market reached $1 trillion USD in revenues last year, with South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco also playing in the maturing league. With its $500 million GBS revenues, Kenya is leading among emerging GBS destinations including Senegal, Nigeria, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Ghana. She projected that at current growth rates, Kenya will emerge as the leading provider of digital work opportunities with a positive local economic ripple effect.
“Studies have shown that digital work increases formal employment opportunities and is the fastest-growing sector. Kenya has made very good headway amidst stiff competition and must avoid complacency by guarding its market positioning and providing an enabling environment to further deepen the GBS market opportunity,” said Gonzalez. She added: “Kenya is a preferred destination due to the quality of human capital that is versatile enough to serve various market segments, including Generative AI, thanks to digital training and academic progress. Several countries are, however, fighting hard to edge Kenya out of its growth track, which necessitates close attention to secure market positioning.”
While commenting on the skills required to secure our national market positioning, Gonzalez noted that by 2030, an estimated 50-55% of jobs in Kenya will require digital skills. “Yet there are significant gaps in basic and advanced digital skills – particularly in rural areas and among women,” she said. To help bridge this skills gap, Sama has collaborated with the University of Nairobi to advance AI skills in one of the first partnerships of this kind in Kenya.
Both the State Department for ICT and the Digital Economy PS Eng. John Tanui and University of Nairobi’s acting VC Prof. Margaret Hutchinson also spoke at the lecture.
PS Tanui stressed that AI is no longer science fiction, saying: “We are living in an era where AI is not just a possibility – it is our present reality, and the sooner we fully embrace it, the better prepared we will be for the future.” He noted that Generative AI alone could add between $2.6 and $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy. To bring some of this growth to Kenya, the government is establishing policies and frameworks that foster innovation and invest in research and development while protecting the rights and interests of all citizens, following the principles of ethical AI development and usage.
“With 65% of organizations already integrating Generative AI into operations, its impact is undeniable, from enhancing customer service to revolutionizing industries. As we embrace this digital future, partnerships and education in STEM are key to preparing our workforce for the opportunities ahead,” he added. “It is our collective responsibility to develop ethical guidelines that govern AI use in a manner that upholds human dignity and values. As a government, we will establish policies and a regulatory framework that fosters innovation while protecting the rights and interests of all citizens. We will continue to invest in research and development and champion the ethical use of AI.”
Prof. Margaret Hutchinson, the Acting VC of the University of Nairobi, underscored the institution’s pivotal role in equipping students with the skills to navigate the digital economy, adding: “The University of Nairobi is committed to bridging the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that our graduates are not only job-ready but also future-ready.”
Sama and the University of Nairobi’s partnership is poised to advance Generative AI capabilities in Kenya and in Africa as a whole. The collaboration will provide part-time employment opportunities for UoN faculty and students, equipping them with practical experience in GenAI. This initiative aligns with the broader goal of bridging the digital divide and positioning Kenya as a global AI value chain leader.
The University of Nairobi (UoN), is the premier institution of higher education in Kenya and the region. With the highest concentration of talents of about 45,000 students and 4,000 staff, UoN offers solutions to the pressing global challenges through multidisciplinary research. The University has 10 faculties, 11 research institutes and 4 centers of excellence. UoN offers diversified academic programs and specializations in natural sciences, applied sciences, technology, humanities, social sciences and Law. With a rich history spanning over 50 years, the University of Nairobi has established itself as a leading intellectual hub, offering a wide range of academic programs and opportunities. The University of Nairobi is among the top ranked universities in Africa by both Webometrics and Times Higher Education. It has a global-wide network of research partners and collaborators. UoN is reputed in the region for producing leaders in both the public and private sector. Research, Innovations and entrepreneurship are the key pillars in the delivery of its core mandate. UoN is guided by the mission is to provide a transformative and holistic education that nurtures critical thinking, fosters intellectual curiosity, and equips students with the necessary skills to thrive in a rapidly evolving global society. We believe in the power of education to shape future generations, promote social change, and contribute to the overall well-being of our communities.
Sama is a global leader in data annotation solutions for computer vision, generative AI and large language models. The firm’s solutions minimize the risk of model failure and lower the total cost of ownership through an enterprise ready ML-powered platform and SamaIQ, actionable data insights uncovered by proprietary algorithms and a highly skilled on-staff team of over 5,000 data experts. 25% of Fortune 50 companies, including GM, Ford, Microsoft and Google, trust Sama to help deliver industry-leading ML models. Driven by a mission to expand opportunities for underserved individuals through the digital economy, Sama is a certified B-Corp and has helped more than 65,000 people lift themselves out of poverty. An MIT-led Randomized Controlled Trial has validated its training and employment program.
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