Harambee
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a South African not-for-profit social enterprise operating the SA Youth digital platform, which connects over 4.6 million young work-seekers with 3,000+ employer partners through free job-matching, inclusive CV tools, and AI-powered support, funded by philanthropic and corporate partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Harambee does
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a South African not-for-profit social enterprise founded in 2011 that addresses structural youth unemployment by operating the SA Youth digital platform (sayouth.mobi), South Africa's largest online youth recruitment network. The platform connects over 4.6 million registered work-seekers (primarily aged 15-35) with 3,000+ employer partners offering jobs, internships, learnerships, training, and self-employment pathways, and is delivered free to both sides of the marketplace. SA Youth functions as an anchor component of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention launched by President Ramaphosa in June 2021, giving Harambee direct integration with national and provincial government departments. The platform's technical stack includes a mobile-first, data-free web interface, the SA Youth Inclusive CV tool (launched June 2025 with over 800,000 CVs downloaded), learning potential assessments and behavioral screeners, and AI-powered customer support built on the Genesys Cloud platform that delivers a 90% first-contact resolution rate and processes approximately 37,000 chatbot interactions per month.
Harambee generates revenue through a partnership-and-donor funding model rather than direct fees: philanthropic grants from the Mastercard Foundation, Ford Foundation, UBS, and LGT VP; corporate partnerships with major employers including Standard Bank, Microsoft, Pick n Pay, Woolworths, FNB, Nedbank, Unilever, Deloitte, Discovery, Sasol, Google, McDonald's, Volkswagen South Africa, Hollard, TymeBank, Nandos, and Concentrix; embedded implementation contracts with national and provincial government; and operating funding from entities such as the Jobs Fund. Sub-brand DigiLink provides a work-integrated learning program placing youth into technology roles, with documented placements at Capitec and Clickatell. The organization operates a distributed workforce of 350+ staff and maintains offices in South Africa (headquarters) and Rwanda.
Over the period since founding, Harambee has scaled SA Youth to support 4.6 million work-seekers, connect 1.6 million+ young people to earning opportunities, and generate R45.2 billion in cumulative youth income through accessed opportunities. Its competitive position rests on a combination of government policy integration, dense employer network effects, proprietary data on youth skills and behaviors, and an ecosystem of major philanthropic and corporate funders, rather than on traditional for-profit moats.
Harambee firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Harambee
- Legal name
- Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator
- Website
- https://harambee.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator is a South African not-for-profit social enterprise operating the SA Youth digital platform, which connects over 4.6 million young work-seekers with 3,000+ employer partners through free job-matching, inclusive CV tools, and AI-powered support, funded by philanthropic and corporate partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Harambee industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Employment Platform
- NAICS
- Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Internship/Apprenticeship Matching & Work-Based Learning Platforms (EDAFAMAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Campus / Early Careers RPO (BPACABAJ)
Keywords
Where Harambee is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Harambee business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Partnership and Donor Funding: As a not-for-profit social enterprise, Harambee is funded through partnerships with government, private sector companies, civil society organizations, and philanthropic donors. The SA Youth platform is free for both work-seekers and employers.
- Government Implementation Contracts: Harambee embeds solution delivery within government structures and receives some funding for implementation support, though government typically provides minimal ongoing support funding.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free access for work-seekers |
| Freemium | Others | Free access for employers |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Harambee product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Harambee operates SA Youth, a national-scale free digital recruitment and job-matching platform that connects young South Africans (work-seekers) with earning, learning, and self-employment opportunities sourced from employers and partners. The platform combines AI-powered candidate-employer matching, behavioral screeners, and learning potential assessments with human advisory support, and is anchored in the South African government's Presidential Youth Employment Intervention. Harambee also delivers work-integrated learning programs (including DigiLink and a Programme Builder's Toolkit) and publishes the Breaking Barriers Research Series to inform the youth-employment ecosystem.
Product overview
Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator operates primarily through its core platform, SA Youth — a national digital recruitment and job-matching ecosystem that connects young work-seekers with employers and opportunities. SA Youth serves as the primary product, functioning as a matchmaking platform where young people build profiles, access inclusive CV tools, complete skills assessments, and get matched to opportunities. Supporting features include AI-powered customer support (Genesys Cloud), behavioural screening tools, and downloadable CV generation. Harambee also produces research publications (Breaking Barriers series) and partners on toolkits like the Work-Integrated Learning Programme Builder. The offering is primarily a web-based platform accessible at sayouth.mobi, designed for mass-scale youth employment facilitation in South Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SA Youth: South Africa's largest youth online recruitment platform that connects youth to earning opportunities and gives employers access to young talent across the country. Part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.
- DigiLink
Products and services
- SA Youth Platform A free national digital recruitment and job-matching platform that connects young South African work-seekers with earning, learning, and self-employment opportunities sourced from employers and partners. The platform uses AI-powered matching, an inclusive CV tool, behavioral screeners, and learning potential assessments, and is supported by human advisors via a contact centre.
- DigiLink A work-integrated learning program run by Harambee that combines digital and on-the-job learning to help young South Africans transition into entry-level roles.
- Work-Integrated Learning Programme Builder's Toolkit A toolkit developed by Harambee to help organizations design and implement work-integrated learning programs for young people transitioning into the labor market.
- Breaking Barriers Research Series An evidence-led research publication series produced by Harambee's research and impact team that informs the design of youth employment programs and policy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.6 million work-seekers supported on platform
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Harambee
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Harambee technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature4 records
Harambee partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Standard BankcoreMajor financial services partner supporting Harambee's youth employment initiatives
- MicrosoftcoreTechnology partner providing platform and digital infrastructure support
- Pick n PaycoreRetail employer partner providing job and training opportunities for youth
- WoolworthscoreRetail employer partner in youth employment ecosystem
- FNB (First National Bank)coreFinancial services partner in youth employment initiatives
- NedbankcoreFinancial services partner supporting youth employment programs
- UnilevercoreFast-moving consumer goods company partner providing employment opportunities
- DeloittecoreProfessional services partner supporting youth employment initiatives
- DiscoverycoreFinancial services and health company partner in youth employment ecosystem
- SasolcoreEnergy and chemicals company partner providing employment opportunities
- GooglecoreTechnology partner supporting digital skills and platform development
- McDonald'scoreFast food company partner providing entry-level employment opportunities
- Volkswagen South AfricacoreAutomotive manufacturer partner in youth employment initiatives
- The Presidency of South AfricaflagshipPresidential Youth Employment Intervention anchor partnership - SA Youth is part of this national initiative launched by President Ramaphosa
- Youth Employment Service (YES)coreGovernment-backed youth employment initiative partnering on talent pipeline development
- Business Unity South Africa (Busa)coreBusiness leadership organization collaborating on national youth employment solutions
- Catalyst 2030minorGlobal network of social innovators working on systems change
- HollardcoreInsurance company partner in youth employment ecosystem
- TymeBankcoreDigital bank partner supporting financial inclusion initiatives
- NandoscoreRestaurant company partner providing employment opportunities
- ConcentrixcoreCustomer experience company partner providing GBS sector opportunities
- DigiLinkcoreWork-Integrated Learning program operator helping young people access tech sector opportunities through skills training and employment pathways
- Capitec BankcorePartnership through DigiLink to build entry-level skills pipeline into software testing centre, absorbed all candidates into permanent employment
- ClickatellcoreChat commerce company partnered with DigiLink to augment software testing pipeline with distributed delivery team
- Western Cape GovernmentflagshipProvincial government partner using SA Youth platform for mass recruitment including YearBeyond (20,000 applicants) and PAY Programme (13,000 applicants)
- Wise CrackscoreWindscreen repair company testing entrepreneurship business model with young women sourced through SA Youth platform
Scale indicators9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Harambee competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Generation: Global nonprofit founded by McKinsey that delivers youth employment and skilling programs through partnerships with employers and training providers. Highly comparable to Harambee in mission, two-sided marketplace model, and target demographic of unemployed youth.
- Per Scholas: US-based nonprofit providing tuition-free tech training to adults from underserved backgrounds and connecting them to employer partners. Comparable in workforce readiness focus, employer-driven curriculum, and serving entry-level talent sourcing for employers.
- Year Up: US-based nonprofit providing career training and income-supporting pathways to employment for young adults from underserved communities. Comparable in mission, employer partnership model, and focus on connecting youth to entry-level corporate opportunities.
- Education for Employment (EFE): Global nonprofit that trains and places youth in jobs across the Middle East and North Africa, with a model centered on private-sector partnerships. Directly comparable to Harambee in connecting unemployed youth to earning opportunities through employer partnerships.
- MagicBus: India-based nonprofit that uses a livelihood skilling model to connect underprivileged youth to employment opportunities. Comparable in mission, target demographic, and operating model of bridging youth and employers through training-led pathways.
Emerging players
- Andela: African tech talent marketplace that connects African software engineers with global employer demand. Comparable in Africa-focused tech talent matching and South African employer relevance, but operates as a for-profit model with different target demographic (existing skilled developers vs. entry-level youth).
Others
- Youth Employment Service (YES): South African government-backed youth employment initiative that partners with business to create one-year work opportunities. Harambee is a partner and customer of YES rather than a competitor, but YES is structurally related in the same South African youth employment ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- International Youth Foundation (IYF): Global nonprofit organization focused on youth development including workforce readiness and employability. Overlap with Harambee's youth employment mission, but IYF operates broadly across multiple youth development areas rather than specializing in a digital matching platform.
- TechnoServe: Global nonprofit working with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries, including youth employment programs in Africa. Comparable in pan-African nonprofit structure and donor-funded model, but operates more broadly across multiple sectors rather than specializing in youth digital matching.
Regional players
- African Leadership Academy: Pan-African institution focused on developing young African leaders through secondary education and university pathway support. Comparable in African youth development focus and regional footprint, but operates a different model (residential education rather than digital job matching).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Harambee social profiles
Digital presenceHarambee financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Harambee leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Harambee funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Harambee M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Harambee
What does Harambee do?
Harambee operates SA Youth, a national-scale free digital recruitment and job-matching platform that connects young South Africans (work-seekers) with earning, learning, and self-employment opportunities sourced from employers and partners. The platform combines AI-powered candidate-employer matching, behavioral screeners, and learning potential assessments with human advisory support, and is anchored in the South African government's Presidential Youth Employment Intervention. Harambee also delivers work-integrated learning programs (including DigiLink and a Programme Builder's Toolkit) and publishes the Breaking Barriers Research Series to inform the youth-employment ecosystem.
Is Harambee a public or private company?
Harambee is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Harambee founded?
Harambee was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Harambee based?
Harambee is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Harambee make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Partnership and Donor Funding is the primary driver. The others are government Implementation Contracts.
Who are Harambee's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Generation, Per Scholas, Year Up, Education for Employment (EFE) and MagicBus. Andela is listed as an emerging player. Youth Employment Service (YES) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are International Youth Foundation (IYF) and TechnoServe. African Leadership Academy is listed as a regional player.
Does Harambee have an API?
No public API is recorded for Harambee.
What industry is Harambee in?
Harambee's product category is Youth Employment Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAMAL, Internship/Apprenticeship Matching & Work-Based Learning Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAGADAF, Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 62411 and its SIC code is 7361.