Yango Group, a technology company based in the United Arab Emirates, has opened a new regional headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as part of its plan to expand digital services and long-term investments across Africa.
The new office in Abidjan will serve as Yango’s main African coordination centre, overseeing its operations in several African countries where it already provides various digital services. These include ride-hailing, food delivery, e-commerce, digital payments, and navigation—all integrated into a single “Super App.”
Speaking during the launch, Chief Executive Officer of Yango, Mr. Daniil Shuleyko, said Abidjan was strategically selected because of its central role in the company’s African operations. He noted that Africa holds a special place in Yango’s growth journey.
“Africa was where our journey started,” Shuleyko stated. “This new regional office in Abidjan is a new chapter. Our strategy is to build digital ecosystems that empower countries from within, using global technologies but always rooted in local realities.”
Yango entered Côte d’Ivoire in 2018 and has since expanded into 16 African countries. The company now has a workforce of around 200 people across the continent and plans to further strengthen its presence by offering more locally-tailored platforms.
As part of its expansion plan, Yango is also scaling its youth-focused digital skills initiative, the Yango Fellowship. According to Shuleyko, the programme is set to be extended to a pan-African level and will help equip hundreds of thousands of young Africans with future-oriented digital skills.
“Our mission goes beyond providing digital services,” he explained. “By investing in talent and skills, especially among young people, we’re helping build the foundation for long-term innovation and self-sustaining digital ecosystems across Africa.”
The Abidjan office will serve not just as a regional coordination point but also as the training hub for the fellowship programme. Yango says the initiative is a key part of its broader goal to support sustainable technology adoption and build a culture of innovation that responds to Africa’s local challenges.
Yango currently offers services in more than 30 countries globally, including regions in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East. Its services are powered by modern technology and include ride-hailing, foodtech, entertainment, navigation, and payments.
The company’s expansion into Africa aligns with a growing trend of global tech firms seeking to tap into the continent’s youthful population, increasing internet penetration, and demand for digital solutions in transportation, logistics, payments, and commerce.
Yango’s strategy is to offer services that solve everyday problems in urban African settings, while also contributing to long-term socio-economic development through skills acquisition and digital inclusion.
Justice Okamgba, a technology analyst familiar with Yango’s operations, noted that the company’s model of offering several services in one app gives it a competitive advantage in African cities where mobile phone usage is high but app switching can be data-intensive.
“The super app model is very appealing in markets like Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Ghana, where users want convenience but also need low data consumption,” Okamgba said. “Yango’s success will depend on how well they adapt their services to local languages, mobility patterns, and pricing structures.”
Yango’s new office launch comes as other tech companies continue to explore Africa as a key growth area. The continent’s tech startup ecosystem attracted over $2 billion in funding in 2023, showing growing interest in fintech, mobility tech, and e-commerce.
By choosing Abidjan—a fast-growing tech and business hub in West Africa—Yango is positioning itself at the centre of regional innovation, government partnerships, and talent development. The move also reflects the growing confidence foreign investors have in Côte d’Ivoire’s stability, infrastructure, and business potential.
With its digital services, youth-focused training programme, and expansion strategy, Yango appears set to become a major player in Africa’s tech-driven future.
