On a recent episode of the Labari Media Podcast, we sat down with Gori Yahya, founder and CEO of Upskill Universe, to talk about a subject both exciting and intimidating for African entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): artificial intelligence and the use of digital tools.
Upskill Universe bills itself as the largest human-led global training provider for “future skills.”
Gori’s team helps organizations across the world — including thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa — get comfortable with technologies like data analytics, AI, and e-commerce.
Right now, Yahya says, AI is moving at “an unprecedented pace.” GPT-5 was released just last week, but adoption of AI in general among African SMEs remains slow.
“They’re a little hesitant,” he explains. “The sheer number of tools is overwhelming. And when they try one for the first time, it can feel underwhelming if it doesn’t deliver exactly what they expect.”
Many African small businesses, especially in the informal sector, have been built the old-fashioned way — through human relationships, physical storefronts, and word of mouth.
For some owners, the leap to AI seems unnecessary or even impossible. “They’ll say, ‘I’ve built my textile company with my hands. Why do I need AI?’” Yahya notes.
But the technology can be transformative. With the right mindset and a smartphone, a small shop can automate customer service, create marketing campaigns, and even build a professional website in minutes.
“It’s about leapfrogging,” Yahya says. “You don’t have to go through every stage of digital maturity before embracing AI.”
Barriers to Adoption
The challenges aren’t just about fear of the unknown. Connectivity issues, data costs, and the time it takes to step away from daily operations all slow down adoption. Skills are another major hurdle. “If you don’t know where to start, you often never start,” Yahya says.
Upskill’s programs — including Skills for Business with HP and Google’s Hustle Academy — are designed to break down those barriers. Training is free, short, and highly practical. A session might show an SME owner how to use AI to draft social media posts, automate email responses, or track customer leads.
A Tailor’s Transformation
Yahya recalls one standout success story: Choma, a Lagos-based textile entrepreneur. She was receiving customer queries on WhatsApp and through her website, but responding took hours each week.
After attending a five-day Hustle Academy bootcamp, she learned to automate replies to common questions, create a content calendar with AI, and set up follow-up messages for potential customers.
The results were dramatic: within a month, Choma’s revenue jumped by 65%. “The next challenge was handling all the new customers,” Yahya says with a smile, “but that’s a good problem to have.”
The future belongs to human intelligence. AI is just the tool. Our job is to level up our skills so we can use it to build more resilient businesses and societies.
Gori Yahya
Sectors Ripe for Disruption
While sectors like healthcare and fintech are already seeing large-scale AI shifts, Yahya believes almost every SME sector is ripe for disruption. The real opportunity lies in automating time-consuming tasks — freeing owners to focus on growth.
Looking Ahead
Over the next two years, Yahya predicts the rise of AI agents — tools that don’t just generate responses but execute tasks. “An agent could automatically thank your five most recent customers and schedule follow-up messages, without you lifting a finger,” he explains.
Long-term, he expects more AI systems trained on African data, languages, and cultural nuances, which will make tools more relevant and easier to adopt. “When AI understands your dialect, slang, and customer behavior, it becomes far more powerful,” he says.
Yahya’s philosophy is simple: “The future belongs to human intelligence. AI is just the tool. Our job is to level up our skills so we can use it to build more resilient businesses and societies.”
