Sama Ranks Top 3 in 2025 Inspiring Workplaces Awards
Sama Named Top 3 in 2025 Middle and East Africa Inspiring Workplaces Awards
Recognized for Inspiring Wellbeing and Inclusion
Sama, https://www.sama.com/ a global leader in data annotation for artificial intelligence (AI) and a certified B Corp, ranked among the top three in the 2025 Inspiring Workplaces for the Middle and East Africa region. The company earned recognition for fostering wellbeing and inclusion within its organisation.
The Inspiring Workplaces Group (IW), based in the UK, operates across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Australia. IW promotes positive change by celebrating organisations excelling in culture, leadership, wellbeing, inclusion, employee voice, and experience. They partner with The Engage Group to deliver this recognition.
Sama stood out from twelve finalists, including Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority, AZA Finance, Bank of Kigali PLC, Concentrix, and Intelcia. Intelcia and KEO International Consultants took first and second places, while Sama placed third.
Sama Ranks Top 3 in 2025 Inspiring Workplaces Awards
Championing Equal Opportunity and Employee Wellness
Annepeace Alwala, Vice President of Global Service Delivery at Sama, said, “We believe talent is equally distributed but opportunity is not. Our mission is to support individuals with their first formal employment in the digital economy. We also help them advance their careers. In 2024 alone, we trained over 840 individuals and created more than 350 new jobs for people previously excluded from formal employment.”
Sama’s employee experience focuses on inclusion, mentorship, wellness, and learning. These values have boosted employee engagement, leadership growth, and workforce diversity. Since 2008, Sama has helped nearly 70,000 people rise out of poverty.
Matt Manners, Founder of the Inspiring Workplaces Group, praised Sama during the awards. He said, “Congratulations to Sama for creating a people-first culture. In today’s challenging world, putting people first is essential. With AI reshaping work, companies that prioritize profit over people risk short-term wins but long-term setbacks. PeopleFirst is not optional; it’s crucial.”
Sama’s people strategy highlights employee wellbeing. The company employs 10 in-house psychologists, runs a fully equipped clinic in Kenya, and offers an Employee Assistance Program through partnerships. These efforts raised employees’ self-reported wellbeing engagement score to 77% in 2024, up from 73% in 2023.
The company’s inclusive culture shows in gender representation and engagement. In 2024, women made up 51% of all employees, 40% of senior managers, and 67% of the executive team.
Sama Ranks Top 3 in 2025 Inspiring Workplaces Awards
Sama encourages innovation and leadership through initiatives like the Give Work Challenge. This program supports 48 employee-led ventures. The company also runs the Leila Janah Foundation Awards, which foster global collaboration.
This award adds to Sama’s growing list of honours. These include Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Inclusion & Diversity 2025, the 2024 Innovative BPO Provider award (African Digital Economy Awards), and Best AI Model Validation Solution (AI Breakthrough Awards).
