Elevate Africa 2026 Positions Ethiopia as a Rising Global Outsourcing Hub

Key Points

• Elevate Africa 2026, held March 3 to 5 in Addis Ababa, convened over 170 senior leaders and decision makers from government, global enterprises, investors, and the outsourcing industry.

• Ethiopian Investment Holdings announced a $25.56 million BPO initiative, including plans to develop a 3,000 seat BPO facility to expand Ethiopia’s digital services sector.

• Discussions highlighted Ethiopia’s young workforce, competitive operating environment, and policy reforms as key drivers attracting international investment.

• Panels explored themes including Impact Sourcing, Future of Work, Digital Sovereignty, and AI enablement, focusing on sustainable growth.

• Attendees included leaders from the National Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Investment Holdings, Ethio Telecom, Africa Jobs Network, Everest Group, Boston Consulting Group, and other global organizations.

Press Release

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | March 6, 2026: Elevate Africa 2026 concluded successfully in Addis Ababa, bringing together over 170 local and international attendees, including senior leaders from government, global enterprises, investors, and the outsourcing industry to accelerate Ethiopia’s emergence as a competitive destination for global service delivery.

Elevate Africa is an initiative by CCI Global, designed to connect global buyers, investors, policymakers, and industry leaders with emerging outsourcing destinations across Africa and support the growth of sustainable digital service economies.

Hosted in Africa’s diplomatic capital and one of the continent’s fastest growing digital economies, the three day forum created a platform for global stakeholders to explore outsourcing, technology enabled services, and investment opportunities across East Africa.

A key highlight of the event was the announcement by Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) of a $25.56 million investment into a new 3,000 seat BPO facility, aimed at leveraging Ethiopia’s young workforce while strengthening the country’s position as a rising hub for global outsourcing and digital services.

Throughout the conference, policymakers and industry leaders emphasized that Ethiopia’s BPO sector is moving from potential to execution. Institutional support, economic reforms, and collaboration between partners including Ethiopian Investment Holdings, CCI Global, and MMCY are helping build a stronger ecosystem for the sector.

“Elevate Africa was created to open doors between global demand and Africa’s growing capabilities,” said Martin Roe, CEO of CCI Global. “What we have seen this week in Addis Ababa confirms that Ethiopia has the ingredients required to compete in the global services economy.”

Sessions also explored how global enterprises evaluate new service locations, highlighting factors such as talent availability, digital infrastructure, regulatory stability, and operational resilience.

Panels discussed impact sourcing and how inclusive employment models can create meaningful opportunities for young people while supporting global service delivery. The conference also showcased Ethiopia’s emerging generation of digital professionals, demonstrating how the country’s young workforce can support the expansion of global services.

“Ethiopia has the fundamentals required to succeed in the global outsourcing landscape including talent, scale, and growing digital infrastructure,” said Mark Chana, Group COO of CCI Global.

The event welcomed senior representatives including H.E. Dr. Eyob Tekalign, Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia; H.E. Muferiat Kamil, Minister of Labour and Skills Development; Dr. Brook Taye, CEO of Ethiopian Investment Holdings; Yusuf Reja, CEO of Africa Jobs Network, alongside leaders from Ethio Telecom, Ethiopian Electric Utility, Boston Consulting Group, Everest Group, and other organizations.

Elevate Africa 2026 demonstrated that Ethiopia’s global services sector is entering a new phase as policy reforms, talent development, and investment begin to converge, positioning the country as an emerging force in Africa’s digital services economy.