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Africa Jobs Fund has invested in PeopleGateway, an Italian startup building the infrastructure for international labour mobility into Europe, starting with Italy.
The investment will fund PeopleGateway’s first labour corridor, training hospitality workers on Kenya’s coast for jobs in Italian hotels and restaurants.
Africa Jobs Fund seeks to invest in companies that can create jobs at scale for Africans and raise incomes. It focuses on two areas: international labour mobility and export manufacturing.
PeopleGateway coordinates the process of moving workers into jobs abroad, including training, visas and permits, relocation and support after arrival. Recruitment and placement are handled by licensed labour agency partners.
The company was founded by Daniele Albanese together with Enzima12, an Italian venture builder focused on human capital development, and Migration AI Studio, which develops technology for international mobility.
Africa Jobs Fund said it selected the Kenyan coast partly because the area has a hospitality workforce with existing experience serving Italian tourists and working in Italian-run businesses.
The fund estimates that an experienced hospitality worker in Malindi earns about €200 a month, compared with a starting salary of about €1,500 a month in an Italian hotel or resort. It said accommodation and meals are also provided with many hospitality roles in Italy.
* Read/watch our earlier interview with Africa Jobs Fund founding partner Daniel Yu: Africa Jobs Fund – Backing businesses in international labour mobility and export manufacturing
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