Yango in Abidjan Aims to Accelerate Urban Digital Services Development
As African cities continue to expand, urban digital services are becoming a major economic driver. Mobility, delivery, mapping, logistics, and artificial intelligence now play a central role in shaping the competitiveness of the continent’s major cities.
It is in this context that Yango Group (The app for rides, food delivery, parcel delivery, and buying and selling services) organized its Innovation Day 2026 in Abidjan on June 4, bringing together more than 200 business leaders, entrepreneurs, public decision-makers, and technology experts. The event allowed the group to showcase its technologies while highlighting new local initiatives focused on entrepreneurship, job creation, SMEs, and digital skills development.
Digital Services Driven by Urban Growth and Mobile Usage
Yango’s expansion comes at a time when digital services are increasingly becoming core economic infrastructure. According to GSMA, mobile technologies and services generated $220 billion in economic value in Africa in 2024. An IFC/Google report (2020) also estimated that Africa’s internet economy could reach $180 billion by 2025, driven by rising digital adoption, mobile penetration, and the growth of local tech ecosystems.
For Yango, the goal is to demonstrate that technology goes beyond improving existing services. “Technology is not only about making existing systems more efficient. It can create new opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, and economic growth,” said Adeniyi Adebayo, Chief Business Officer at Yango Group.
In Abidjan, the company presented several technologies already deployed in its global markets: route optimization, AI-powered traffic prediction, mapping and navigation tools, autonomous delivery robots, as well as Yasmina, its AI assistant. The message is clear: technologies developed at a global scale can be adapted to the concrete needs of African cities.
SMEs and Talent Development: Building a Local Ecosystem
Beyond technological demonstrations, Yango Innovation Day also clarified the company’s positioning in Côte d’Ivoire. One of the key highlights was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with GUDE-PME, the Ivorian public agency responsible for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.
The agreement targets SMEs operating in mobility and logistics—two sectors expected to rapidly professionalize with the rise of digital services. The goal is to support these businesses in formalizing their operations, accessing financing, strengthening operational capacity, and gradually integrating into the digital economy.
For Yango, this approach goes beyond being a platform provider and aims at building a structured local ecosystem. Fleet operators, delivery companies, and mobility entrepreneurs could become key beneficiaries of the growth of urban digital services, provided they have access to formal frameworks, financing, and stronger skills.
The event also highlighted the importance of skills development. Twenty young participants graduated from the first cohort of the Yango Fellowship 2025 program in Côte d’Ivoire. They received certificates, laptops, and financial support to continue their education and professional development.
A Deeper Footprint Beyond Mobility
Yango Group also used the event to announce the upcoming launch of a premium Yango Food service in Côte d’Ivoire. This new offering is expected to enhance customer experience and strengthen the group’s presence in the local digital services market.
Present in more than 30 countries across Africa, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, Yango is increasingly tailoring its technologies to local market needs. In Côte d’Ivoire, the challenge is to turn innovation into practical everyday use: improving mobility, streamlining delivery services, supporting SMEs, training talent, and expanding access to digital services.
