It is early morning in Tunis. Yahya Bouhlel, 27, founder of a start-up, GoMyCode, has just arrived from London, for business meetings.
GoMyCode, which trains young people in coding, is in expansion phase, opening more offices in Tunisia, as well as pursuing international expansion. In 2017, it generated just a few thousand dollars, by 2023, revenues had risen to USD 4 million. Today the company has offices in nine countries, across North, East and West Africa.
GoMyCode was jointly financed by the African Development Bank and the European Union, through AfricInvest, a pan-African private equity investment firm.
The summer that started it
Bouhlel discovered a passion for IT and coding (programming) playing video games in Tunis, where he grew up. The ability to automate digital language to create and develop all kinds of worlds seemed to offer infinite possibilities.
This prodigy of new technologies then headed to the United States, settling in the iconic Silicon Valley, where he learned unique knowledge and special skills to support his ambitions and "code" his own destiny.
Back in his hometown for the summer, Bouhlel spotted an opportunity to share his new knowledge with his friends. That was how GoMyCode was born - as a summer coding camp. Today the training it offers compares with the best anywhere in the world. Bouhlel says, "We offer dozens of training modules, covering areas such as data analysis, digital marketing and design. Our programmes vary in length, from 40 to 400 hours and are recognized by the profession. We are also on the cusp of achieving official certification. I am genuinely proud to have been able to help my fellow citizens. Knowing that they can have an impact on the Tunisian economy and the world is a priceless reward for me."
Passing it on
Among the over 30,000 students trained so far is Koutheir Cherni, 25. "I connected with GoMyCode in 2019. I took their digital course and later, in 2020, I joined them to help establish their business in Morocco," Cherni says. "Being able to rely on Yahya's trust in me when I was very young was very gratifying for me. By the time I came back from Morocco, I had developed the technical and managerial skills to pursue my own dreams," he says.
Cherni has since gone on to found three start-ups. One of them, "Guépard", automates data transfers to improve efficiency. His goal is to raise USD 2.5 million to develop the company's first digital transfer server, a solution eagerly awaited by many small businesses.
He is grateful for the advice and support he has received from his mentor, Bouhlel. Today, the two friends are walking confidently towards a bright future.
Bouhlel and Cherni are just two of the young people putting Tunisia on the global technology stage, supported and funded by the African Development Bank and the European Union through the pan-African investment platform, AfricInvest.
The support provided has genuinely driven a dynamic that is only in its early stages. The objective is clear: to release the potential of innovative African start-ups. A bet on the men and women who have the courage to set up businesses and create value on the continent.
