INTRODUCTION

Giraffe is part of UNICEF’s Innovation Fund Investments in Skills and Connectivity. Founded in 2015, Giraffe is a job matching platform that aims to reduce unemployment in emerging markets by enabling jobseekers to make a CV on their mobile device for free and subsequently connecting them with relevant jobs in their area.

Businesses looking for staff can post a job online at www.giraffe.co.za. Giraffe then uses matching algorithms to identify and contact relevant candidates. Candidates who apply are screened for the job and then asked to submit a voice note explaining why they are suitable for the job. Employers can simply log in to their dashboard, see which candidates have passed their screening and listen to their voice notes.

By automating most of the recruitment process, Giraffe saves business owners and recruiters a significant amount of time whilst enabling them to rapidly find the best candidates. Giraffe automates the boring parts of the recruitment process – candidate sourcing and screening –allowing business owners and recruiters to focus on more important tasks like interviewing the best candidates and managing retention.

TEAM

Giraffe’s founders, Anish Shivdasani and Shafin Anwarsha, established the company to address South Africa’s dire youth unemployment problem. Since Giraffe is a social impact business, the founders went about building a world-class team of mission-aligned professionals whose primary motive was purpose, not profit. Giraffe’s team now comprises developers, designers and commercial experts whose diversity reflects that of the South African ‘rainbow nation.’ The Giraffe team today reflects diversity in race, nationality, gender, disability and sexual-orientation. Having such diversity has greatly assisted building great products and a brand that resonates strongly with South Africans from all walks of life.

IMPACT

Unemployment rates in South Africa are around 40%, with youth unemployment at around 50%. If the youth fail to get jobs, this can result in lifelong poverty extending to the future generations. Solving youth unemployment is therefore critical to reduce poverty and inequality, and to help young people improve their quality of life.

South Africa’s unemployment challenges relate primarily to the legacy of apartheid and the country’s poor economic growth rate. Among the issues impacting employability is the lack of education and skills that plagues South Africa’s youth.

Giraffe aims to improve jobseekers’ access and visibility of viable opportunities through its mobile technology and matching algorithms. Since launching, Giraffe has attracted over 1 million jobseekers and thousands of hiring businesses - both small and large - which use the platform to recruit suitable staff.

OPEN SOURCE

With UNICEF’s support, Giraffe plans to develop a content portal to educate and upskill young people,  thus increasing their employability. The educational content will leverage labour market data and focus on skills that are in demand to address the country’s skills gap. The content portal will be made open source for other organisations around the world to use.

Giraffe also plans to use UNICEF’s support to evolve its matching algorithm, making large parts of it open source for other organisations to use across the globe. By sharing Giraffe’s IP, the company hopes to create impact globally with UNICEF’s backing.

THE WAY AHEAD

Giraffe’s immediate objective is to navigate the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed, addressing the economic impact of the pandemic and associated job losses are a key focus of the company’s efforts. UNICEF’s support therefore comes at a critical time when jobseekers need the most support.