# Research & Consultancy

*Die Zukunft der Arbeit und die künstliche Intelligenz.*

Canonical: https://meliacred.com/de/solutions

### Unser Ansatz: Gründliche empirische Forschung, im Kern von allem, was wir tun

Wir sind überzeugt, dass gründliche empirische Forschung inmitten der KI-Revolution im Kern von allem stehen muss, was wir tun. Wir untersuchen, wie generative KI in verschiedenen Branchen eingeführt wird und wie das die globalen Arbeitsmärkte und Wertschöpfungsketten verändert. Anders als frühere technische Revolutionen, die an einem Ort begannen und Zeit brauchten, bis sie den Rest der Welt erreichten, findet die heutige KI-Revolution überall zugleich statt. Wenn OpenAI ein neues Modell veröffentlicht, können Enthusiasten in den meisten Städten der Welt prüfen, was es in ihrem Fachgebiet kann. Mit wachsender Konnektivität und wachsendem Zugang zu KI stehen junge Tüftler überall an der Grenze des Wissens. Wie sich Arbeitsmärkte und Wertschöpfungsketten mit wachsender Vernetzung und wachsender KI-Fähigkeit verändern, ist noch wenig bekannt.

Bei MeliaCRED arbeiten wir mit einigen der führenden Wissenschaftler der Welt zusammen, an der Schnittstelle von technischem Wandel, internationalem Geschäft und der Ökonomie des Handels mit Dienstleistungen. Wir suchen laufend neue Wege, Wissen darüber zu gewinnen, wie KI die Arbeitswelt verändert, und veröffentlichen regelmäßig Ergebnisse. Für Neuigkeiten abonnieren Sie Elvis' Blog 42, 37, 8 billion auf Substack.

Unternehmen und Institutionen beauftragen uns mit Studien, Marktanalysen und Strategiearbeit zu KI in Dienstleistungen, zu afrikanischen Dienstleistungsexporten und zu den Firmen, die sie erbringen. Zwölf unserer Studien sind öffentlich und unten aufgeführt; andere wurden von Kunden beauftragt und bleiben bei ihnen. Die Studien und der Podcast sind auf Englisch. Sie möchten eine Studie beauftragen? Schreiben Sie an elvis@meliacred.com.

### 12 studies

- **The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Global Business Services in Ghana and Rwanda** (2025, SSRN working paper, University of Duisburg-Essen). Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/ai-global-business-services-ghana-rwanda-2025
- **Will AI replace jobs in Africa?** (2024, GIZ, BMZ Digital Global). Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/will-ai-replace-jobs-in-africa-2024
- **Where in the World Will Global Business Services Now Find Workers? Are African Labor Markets Ready?** (2023, FDI Alliance International Magazine, pages 18 to 19). Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/where-will-global-business-services-find-workers-2023
- **The 3 a.m. Phone Call: A Gendered Perspective on the Working Conditions of Kenyan Online Writers** (2023, GIGA Working Paper No. 330, German Institute for Global and Area Studies). Elvis Melia, Elizabeth Muthoni Wahu, Anne Gichuku, Peninah Murimi, Otto Kässi. https://meliacred.com/solutions/the-3-am-phone-call-kenyan-online-writers-2023
- **Good Gigs If You Get Them: Analysis of Working Schedules and Wages of Platform Workers in India** (2023, Etla Economic Research and University of Duisburg-Essen). Otto Kässi, Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/good-gigs-platform-workers-india-2023
- **Rwandan Jobs in the Digital Era: Scenarios for the Future of IT-Enabled Services** (2022, GIZ). Elvis Melia, Tristan Gengnagel, Mads Knudsen. https://meliacred.com/solutions/rwandan-jobs-in-the-digital-era-2022
- **Is the Pandemic Deepening the Digital Divide?** (2020, The Current Column, German Development Institute (DIE, now IDOS)). Tina Zintl, Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/is-the-pandemic-deepening-the-digital-divide-2020
- **African Jobs in the Digital Era: Export Options with a Focus on Online Labour** (2020, Discussion Paper 3/2020, German Development Institute (DIE, now IDOS)). Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/african-jobs-in-the-digital-era-2020
- **The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Jobs in Africa: A Literature Review** (2019, Discussion Paper 3/2019, German Development Institute (DIE, now IDOS)). Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/ict-and-jobs-in-africa-literature-review-2019
- **The Political Economy of Extractive Resources** (2016, GIZ). Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/the-political-economy-of-extractive-resources-2016
- **Kick-starting Industrial Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa** (2014, Chapter 13 in Transforming Economies: Making Industrial Policy Work for Growth, Jobs and Development, International Labour Office). Tilman Altenburg, Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/kick-starting-industrial-transformation-sub-saharan-africa-2014
- **Kenya's Elections: No News Is Good News!** (2013, The Current Column, German Development Institute (DIE, now IDOS)). Elvis Melia. https://meliacred.com/solutions/kenyas-elections-no-news-is-good-news-2013

### Conversations with Elvis, the podcast (24 episodes and talks since 2022)

- **5 ways AI can help BPOs** (2025), with Nick Clark (Boston Consulting Group). Elvis speaks with Nick Clark, Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), about how artificial intelligence is reshaping customer experience (CX), outsourcing, and the global business-services industry. Drawing on his experience advising Fortune 500 companies and leading transformation programmes, Nick unpacks what AI adoption really looks like inside enterprises, from copilots and agentic workflows to the human challenges of change management. They explore five practical ways AI can help BPOs, the rise of AI-related fraud and trust-and-safety outsourcing, and how automation is creating new kinds of work even as it transforms existing roles. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO7Fa0ftmOA
- **Doctor of Stars and Teacher of AI** (2025), with Yabebal Fantaye, PhD (Ethiopia). Elvis speaks with Dr. Yabebal Fantaye, a cosmologist turned AI educator and co-founder of 10 Academy, about turning African talent into global AI professionals through intensive boot camps. From analysing the universe with 10,000 supercomputers at Berkeley to building Ethiopia's AI workforce pipeline, Yabebal shares his journey from pursuing a Nobel Prize in physics to AI education across 21 African countries. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn5ZUevwDrE · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/79DSOrOT90O8CRlgoxiz9s?si=3d37797428964ee8
- **AI Sniff Test** (2025), with David Cushman (United Kingdom). Elvis speaks with David Cushman, Executive Research Leader at HFS Research, about how to separate hype from reality in agentic and generative AI and what a shift toward Services-as-Software means for people, providers, and clients. They explore where AI hits first in services, especially CX/BPO, why headcounts have not collapsed yet, and how value migrates toward human-AI teams and enterprise agents that actually do work. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_SWWOSfe5k · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2QZZSNJR0hrvUtzlu0JeI6?si=35f1bcd75dfc4874
- **AI in World Football** (2025), with Wondwesen Zewdie (Ethiopia). Elvis speaks with Wondwesen Zewdie about what happens when data, algorithms, and national identity collide on the football pitch. They explore R&D Group's 'Moneyball' contribution to professional football analytics with artificial intelligence, and the Ethiopian outsourcing association's (EOA's) approach to regional and global networking in the Global Business Services sector. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imI7nWjHeUA · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4si28avXtRMDwjUSeRTeU7?si=f694adbe9a814020
- **Life after AGI** (2025), with Georgina Hutchinson (United Kingdom). Elvis speaks with Georgina Hutchinson, Associate Partner at Dalberg Data Insights and former Senior Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Georgina has spent years at the intersection of technology, policy, and governance, working to open AI up for the public good. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L34ebsh7Wo · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4UbH7HibLW5t2bvJWlzXGj?si=8575dfe1644c48d9
- **Scaling Kenya's Technology Talent** (2025), with Jente Rosseel (Kenya). Elvis speaks with Jente Rosseel, founder and CEO of Elewa, a Nairobi-based technology and education company working primarily with startups and SMEs across Europe, the UK, and South Africa. Jente shares his journey from Belgium to Kenya, detailing how Elewa bridges the gap between ambitious startups and cutting-edge technological solutions through apprenticeship programmes, managed talent accelerators, and professional training. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC_E1eq8xoI · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1djS08LOks2hTyz8ef5wfG?si=25aec14c29864443
- **How Challenger Destinations Can Win** (2025), with Beruh Yayehyirad (Ethiopia). Elvis speaks with Beruh Yayehyirad Kitaw, Director of Technology at MMCY, a global talent company based in Addis Ababa. MMCY operates at the intersection of technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing, providing talent across tech and customer support. Beruh describes MMCY's journey from a purely tech-focused firm to a hybrid organisation, their use of AI agents in recruitment and talent management, and Ethiopia's potential as a challenger among outsourcing destinations. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyVqjyTfEI0 · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7czS8k77U7MAuyEHchXK7j?si=PYwLojphRAqnu_OAzMZ8mA
- **Building Ethiopia's Outsourcing Empire** (2025), with Samuel Mussie (Ethiopia). Elvis speaks with Samuel Mussie, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of Mereb Technologies, about Ethiopia's rapid transformation into a software outsourcing destination and the double-edged effect of AI on junior developers. Samuel leads a team that has grown from a startup to a company with 40 employees, expanding rapidly to 60 people. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FI3_h_r16Q · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4A6ChV77uZfg9yoGE52nsn?si=df717ae8982a4672
- **Intelligence is beyond memory** (2025), with Kaleab Mezgebu (Ethiopia). Elvis speaks with Kaleab Mezgebu, co-founder and CEO of MinabTech in Addis Ababa, about practical applications of AI in Ethiopia. Kaleab shares how MinabTech built HaHuJobs, an AI-driven employment platform, and discusses the role of AI in employment, data classification and efficiency. They explore Ethiopia's economy, its sociopolitical challenges, and the realistic limits of AI in driving meaningful change. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpx3AjGUON0 · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/41t7gG2rV7nV7JEAq3wpQH?si=daefe8cc4e444ab9
- **AI and Jobs in Africa** (2025), with Rahul Srivatsa (United States). Rahul Srivatsa is the Managing Director of Techno Brain GBS. We spoke about the transformation of business process outsourcing (BPO), the automation threat to contact centres, and what workforce planning could look like across Africa in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOb131vJwzs · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/37IHzZiP5BsYWpNAh2tx6m?si=c286169eb4a84a27
- **Leapfrogging into AI** (2025), with Barrett Nash (Georgia). A discussion with Barrett Nash, founder of InfiniteUp, about building AI-powered business tools, access to artificial intelligence for everyone, and strategic career planning for the AI era. Barrett builds tools that open AI capabilities up to entrepreneurs and small businesses. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijin_z5LNbI · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3dahdL6Lwg4ux0n0ZN6cl1?si=a6a3cb42b0704a63
- **Outsourcing our Brains** (2025), with Johan Steyn (South Africa). A discussion with AI strategist Johan Steyn about education disruption, the future of coding careers, and Africa's evolving business services sector. Johan is often referred to as Africa's leading AI commentator and writes for Reuters, Business Day, The Sunday Times, Finweek, News24, ITWeb and Brainstorm Magazine. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7829Ni2H2xs · Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wJfQcilX1XDZhnwYGNlo2?si=b03f80e0f1c746d4
- **The AI Opportunity for Africa** (2024), a talk by Elvis Melia, a talk at CCI Global's Elevate Africa conference (Kenya). In this short talk, Elvis presents the state-of-the-art research findings on the effect of generative AI on worker productivity. Unlike previous ICT innovations, the current large language models seem to benefit younger, less productive workers the most. The conference was hosted by CCI Global in Kenya for the opening of CCI Kenya's new 5,000-people building in Tatu City, north of Nairobi, in May 2024. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQjYBGd_rMU
- **AmaliTech and the Digital Skills Accelerator Africa** (2023), with Martin Hecker (Ghana and Germany). After a long career at the Boston Consulting Group, Martin Hecker created AmaliTech, a social business that specialises in exporting digital services from Africa to the world. Martin also created the DSAA, a club that funnels German development aid funding to global business services firms that set up offices in Africa. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tI2JgDrJnY
- **Objectivity's software developers serve global clients from Rwanda** (2023), with Jacques Nyilinkindi (Rwanda). Software development is among the most complex and best-paying jobs that can be offshored. This is what put the Indian IT-enabled services sector on the global map. Yet a worldwide talent shortage still exists. As ever more young Africans enter digital labour markets, ever more young software developers become available to the world. Elvis speaks with Objectivity's Jacques Nyilinkindi about the changes and opportunities in Kigali's technology ecosystem. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tIVg1Ysoso
- **Deriv, an online broker, serving the world from Kigali** (2023), with Godfrey Zvenyika (Rwanda). Global Business Services (GBS) companies come in many shapes. Deriv is an online brokerage firm that turned Kigali into one of its global delivery locations. Elvis speaks with Godfrey Zvenyika, the Country Manager, about Kigali as Deriv's decision for its Africa office, about Rwanda as a possible destination for other GBS firms, about Kigali's ecosystem of digital services exporters, and about the pros and cons of different African countries for building service export clusters in the coming years. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1irHy81a9PE
- **Tek Experts and the future of Rwanda's services exports** (2023), with Gary Bennett (Rwanda). For Rwandan graduates starting a career in IT services, for Global Business Services firms looking for a new delivery location, for government officials seeking to build a digital services export cluster, and for development partners hoping to support future-oriented job creation in an African metropolis: Gary Bennett speaks about Kigali's emerging hub of services exports. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5iHxzmnwk
- **Umurava, Kigali's supplier of digital work to the world** (2023), with Vivens Uwizeyimana (Rwanda). Kigali is home to a tight-knit ecosystem of up-skilling and work-readiness programmes tailored to the Global Business Services sector. Firms interested in coming to Rwanda to export IT-enabled services, or in importing digital services from Rwanda, will find this conversation useful. Elvis speaks with Vivens Uwizeyimana, founder and CEO of Umurava, a talent marketplace and workforce outsourcing platform. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dFiC2ywzoY
- **Filmmaking in Nigeria and Rwanda** (2023), with Hassan Tha Kreator (Rwanda). Making films and creating video content has become much more accessible, and as the digital realm brings the world closer together, collaborations across borders emerge in creative fields that were once limited by geography. Hassan Tha Kreator tells Elvis about his journey as a young filmmaker from Nigeria to Rwanda, the differences between the two countries, the future of African filmmaking, and how the strengths of different countries can complement each other as Africa's creative economy expands. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUzsks--uYM
- **PesaChoice: work, culture, and change in Rwanda and Africa** (2023), with Pépita Uwineza (Rwanda). A global business services firm setting up a new delivery centre in Africa first has to choose the right country, then has to manage the local workforce: labour laws, customs, skill levels. PesaChoice is a human resources management platform that helps incoming companies with the second challenge and, as it expands across the continent, with the first. Pépita Uwineza and Elvis discuss work, culture and change in Rwanda and Africa. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N8KHF1K9CI
- **Education First, and training Rwanda's digital services exporters** (2023), with Oriane Ruzibiza (Rwanda). When Global Business Services firms choose new delivery locations, they look for stable governance, conducive regulations, reliable infrastructure, and workers with the right skills. Rwanda tops Africa's charts on the first three, and the government has begun an initiative with international partners to train a large pool of GBS workers. Oriane Ruzibiza introduces EF's English language training pilot, tailored to GBS agents and free of charge for GBS firms. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGGB3El09xM
- **SOLVIT AFRICA, and Kigali's ecosystem of digital service exports** (2022), with Joseph Semafara (Rwanda). Rwanda's progress over three decades has turned a small country into one of Africa's emerging technology hubs. Global Business Services companies have set up delivery locations in Kigali, and Joseph Semafara is a leading figure in giving these investors a soft landing. His company, SOLVIT AFRICA, trains young graduates to become GBS agents and works closely with the firms already in Rwanda and those about to make Kigali their next delivery location. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0kk7MlSdNM
- **AltSchool Africa and the future of school and work in Africa** (2022), with Adewale Yusuf (Nigeria). Africa is full of young people who see the internet as their ticket to a better life. Adewale Yusuf, a Nigerian tech entrepreneur, built TalentQL to connect African programmers with global tech companies, all remotely. He then saw that few applicants were ready to deliver what global clients needed, so he founded another company, AltSchool Africa, to close that gap. A conversation about the future of school and work in Africa. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTRswB0WVSc
- **Cloud Empires: How Digital Platforms are Overtaking the State** (2022), with Vili Lehdonvirta (University of Oxford). Vili Lehdonvirta is Professor of Economic Sociology and Digital Social Research at the Oxford Internet Institute. Elvis speaks with him about his book Cloud Empires (MIT Press, 2022), which traces the cyberlibertarian endeavour of using technology to free people from the state, and how digital platforms came to govern work and trade instead. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52Gikchbuxc

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MeliaCRED · Elvis Melia · Willbecker Str. 53, 40699 Erkrath, near Düsseldorf, Germany · elvis@meliacred.com · +49 178 5157149

Index für KI-Systeme: https://meliacred.com/llms.txt · Volltext: https://meliacred.com/llms-full.txt