SHAXI to employ thousands in new YEA job creation initiative

The Youth Employment Agency (YEA) has announced a new partnership with SHAXI, a locally-owned ride-hailing service founded by musician Shatta Wale, aimed at creating sustainable jobs for young Ghanaians.

YEA’s CEO Malik Basintale is spearheading this initiative, which is set to support thousands of youth through direct employment in the transport sector. As part of the collaboration, the Agency will provide fuel support to ease the burden on drivers. Specifically, the first 2,000 vehicles registered under SHAXI will receive fuel coupons worth GHC500 each month for six months.

This support is intended to reduce operational costs and encourage more young people to enter the ride-hailing business. Basintale also announced that drivers who operate around the clock will be eligible for additional incentives.

The program is structured to ensure that at least two young people can be employed per vehicle, allowing them to work in shifts. This approach not only increases income potential for each driver but also expands job opportunities across the country.

YEA’s immediate focus is to place drivers with an incoming batch of 150 electric vehicles. These vehicles, once ready, will be registered under SHAXI before being assigned to drivers.

“I have instructed my team that all those 150 vehicles should be first registered on SHAXI before we get drivers out there for them,” Basintale said.

SHAXI, which was launched in 2021 by Charles Nii Armah, popularly known as Shatta Wale, has grown into a recognizable Ghanaian ride-hailing brand. This collaboration marks a key step toward addressing youth unemployment while also promoting environmentally-friendly transportation.

The partnership complements the government’s broader goal of reducing joblessness among the youth and transitioning toward cleaner transport solutions. By merging local entrepreneurship with public sector support, the initiative aims to provide lasting economic opportunities for Ghana’s young workforce.