On 26^th May 2025, The Kenya Private sector Alliance, through the Ajira digital program, took part in the first day of the Connected Africa Summit 2025 under the theme, The Digital Journey: Vision to Reality.  KEPSA was represented by Dr. Ehud Gachugu, PhD., HSC · AG. Deputy CEO in two sessions on Youth and The Future of Work, and another one focusing on Positioning Kenya as Africa’s Next Hub for Outsourcing IT-Enabled Services (ITES).

The Connected Africa Summit is an event held annually, focusing on digital transformation and innovation in Africa, bringing together representatives from government and the private sector. The Connected Africa 2025 Summit (CAS25) will be the 2nd edition of the Africa-wide summit and the 14th of the Connect Summit series. The main objective of the summit is “Creating business opportunities for growth” and also provide a platform to review the progress of the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration.

Today’s sessions are a build-up to the launch of the 2025 National Study Report on Emerging Trends and Private Sector Opportunities in the Digital Work that will be happening on 27^th May, 2025. The report commissioned by the Ajira Digital Program and implemented by its strategic partner, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), will analyze Kenya’s position within this evolving landscape, assessing the demand for digital jobs, the future of work and emerging opportunities for young people in Kenya, employer expectations, freelancer earnings, and the challenges faced by local professionals in accessing high-value opportunities. The report provides invaluable insights into the dynamic digital work landscape, both locally and globally, presenting the great digital work opportunities for Kenya’s youth

During the first panel session of the day titled; From Side Hustle to Scale-Up - Youth Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI & Gig Economy, the panel discussion brought together leaders from the public and private sectors to explore the evolving nature of digital work in Kenya and across Africa. Dr. Ehud Gachugu Ag. DCEO and Global Director Youth and Jobs at KEPSA, highlighted the rapid expansion of Kenya’s gig economy growing fourfold since 2019 to now include over 2.4 million youth. This, he noted, raises an urgent need to improve not just access to jobs but access to dignified work opportunities and for the young people to continuously upskill and be equipped with globally relevant skills.

“Initiatives like Ajira Digital were established to position Kenya as a digital talent hub for Africa by equipping young people with the right skills and creating a steady supply of talent for regional and global markets. But we must go beyond just increasing access; we must focus on building globally competitive talent, not just for low- and mid-level jobs, but for high-value, high-skill digital work. I don’t believe we should be comfortable graduating young people with only low-level skills. The world is changing fast, and we must integrate emerging skills like AI, green technologies, and digital literacy into our education system to prepare them for the future” He said.

In regards to Positioning Kenya as Africa’s Next hub for Business Outsourcing Process (BPO)/ Global Business Services (GBS) sector and, the main conversation centered on Trust amongst local service providers and International BPO Organizations. Eng. John Tanui, Principal Secretary - State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, Government of Kenya reiterated the need for government and private sector collaboration in digital upskilling, “Through partners like the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and eMobilis, we’ve been able to digitally skill young people in the country.” He said

Also, in this session, Dr Ehud Gachugu emphasized the importance of approaching youth skilling from a business perspective, noting that understanding return on investment (ROI) is crucial. He stated that the ultimate goal is to transform the youth workforce to effectively tap into both local and global opportunities. Highlighting the competitiveness of the BPO sector, he pointed out that beyond marketing, it is essential to build the capacity of operators to identify and act on available opportunities. He underscored that skilling is the most critical element, as businesses primarily seek productivity and tangible outcomes.

“To truly tap into global markets, especially in regions like Europe, we must build partnerships that are aligned with the context of those markets. This requires a deep understanding of regional market dynamics and sector-specific needs to ensure meaningful collaboration, high productivity, and expanded opportunities. Technology plays a key role—Kenya is already a leader in start-ups and innovation. The success of solutions in Fintech like M-Pesa shows the potential of tech in sectors like BPO.” He said

The BPO/GBS session also explored Kenya’s strategic potential to position itself as a global hub, with a specific focus on attracting international outsourcing demand. Speakers highlighted the size and growth of the global BPO and IT-enabled services market estimated at over $1.2 trillion and emphasized Kenya’s readiness to expand its current footprint beyond the existing formal sector jobs. Panelists underscored the importance of capacity building, workforce skilling, and data-driven investment strategies. Additionally, concerns about investor risk perception, lack of coordinated go-to-market strategies, and the need for policy incentives such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were raised. The session concluded with a call for stronger alignment between government, industry, and ecosystem players to unlock scalable employment opportunities and drive inclusive economic growth in Kenya’s digital services sector.

You can view the report here