Unemployment is a major problem in South Africa and numerous other emerging markets. Whilst economic growth and structure are key factors, limited access and visibility to opportunities- especially in the mid-lower income demographic- is a major contributor. In addition, jobseekers do not always know what jobs their skills are suited to, and therefore struggle to identify relevant opportunities. Finally, there is often a major disconnect between the skills that are in demand by the labour market and the skills that high school students and graduates possess, thereby reducing employability.

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.  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.