Glovo collaboration with the Kenyan government, promising substantial funds for digital advancement and job creation
In a strategic move to strengthen Kenya's burgeoning gig and digital economy, Spanish on-demand delivery service Glovo has entered into a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection. The partnership, announced in mid-2025, marks an investment of $123 million (KSh 16 billion) over the next decade, positioning Kenya as a key hub for Glovo in Africa.
The collaboration is expected to create a significant impact in several ways:
1. Addressing Youth Unemployment: With its investment, Glovo aims to create 1,200 new opportunities for Kenyan youth, who make up 85% of the riders. The company also plans to create 2,400 new merchant positions, further boosting employment.
2. Promotion of Digital Economy: The partnership aligns with Kenya’s broader efforts to expand digital infrastructure, skilling programs, and formalize the gig sector. This contributes to a fair and inclusive digital economy.
3. Labour Reform and Worker Protections: As part of the partnership, Glovo is committed to tripling support for digital literacy and business capacity-building for over 1,200 partners. This aligns with Kenya’s ongoing labor law reforms aimed at extending protections to gig workers, reflecting a supportive regulatory environment.
4. Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: The collaboration exemplifies efforts to engage governments, businesses, workers, and civil society to co-design solutions balancing innovation, flexibility, and worker protections within the digital economy.
In addition to these initiatives, Glovo has pledged to provide 3.4 million meals to vulnerable communities through its "Glovo Access" program. The company also aims to increase employment by 50% in the next two years and to offer flexible income for 1,200 riders.
Glovo’s co-founder and CEO, Oscar Pierre, stated that the partnership aligns with Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. The Glovo+ program, a transformation of the company’s "Courier Pledge," is committed to rider health, safety, and social rights.
This strategic partnership is a significant step towards tackling youth unemployment by creating digital work opportunities and supporting the development of a regulated, fair gig economy in Kenya. However, the full long-term impact will depend on continued labor reforms and inclusive policy implementations to sustain growth and protect workers in this sector.
As of mid-2025, this remains a current and important development in Kenya’s labor and digital economy landscape.
- The investment by Glovo, valued at $123 million (KSh 16 billion), is not only positioning Kenya as a key hub for the Spanish on-demand delivery service in Africa, but also aims to create 1,200 new opportunities for Kenyan youth.
- In sync with Kenya’s mission to expand digital infrastructure, the collaboration between Glovo and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection contributes to the promotion of digital economy and formalization of the gig sector.
- In line with Kenya’s ongoing labor law reforms, Glovo has pledged to triple support for digital literacy and business capacity-building for over 1,200 partners, aligning with their commitment to rider health, safety, and social rights.
- The strategic partnership between Glovo and the Kenyan government exemplifies multi-stakeholder engagement, co-designing solutions that balance innovation, flexibility, and worker protections within the digital economy, particularly in education-and-self-development, business, finance, and technology sectors.
