Abdellatif Olama, CEO of Jumia Egypt: Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and then throws in a couple of random business questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Abdellatif Olama (LinkedIn), CEO of Jumia Egypt.

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My name is Abdellatif Olama — I’m the CEO of Jumia Egypt and the group managing director of JumiaPay. I’m responsible for all Jumia companies and business in Egypt. This means I’m responsible for our core e-commerce marketplace offering. As the group managing director for JumiaPay, I also oversee all the nine countries in Africa where Jumia has operations and I’m responsible for payment enablement there.

I think Jumia is trying to bridge the gap between global technological innovation and the local needs of Egypt and Africa. We are trying to make sure that the solutions we have are relevant and that we have answers to the most challenging questions — especially for logistics, payment, and trade facilitation.

We’re making sure that the solutions are localized, and that they’re really catering to the needs of the consumers in Egypt. Our role also extends to empowering small and medium businesses by giving them the tools to scale digitally, access new customer bases, and operate more efficiently through technology.

I think the most interesting trend right now is the introduction of AI. We are figuring out how to best use it to deliver packages in a more cost-efficient and convenient way to someone in Upper Egypt or in the Delta — places where it was either not possible or quite expensive previously. We’re also testing AI internally — from customer support automation to forecasting and fraud detection — allowing teams to save time and focus on strategic, value-driving work.

When it comes to managing my morning routine, I’m not the most standardized of people. I like to wake up usually around 7:30am and have some time for myself to prioritize and organize the day ahead. I exercise for a short period in the morning and then start with some calls with people to help structure my day and to help me decide what I really want to accomplish on the day. I start as many threads as possible that I can follow up on and pick up later. This structure helps me stay focused — especially when balancing both operational goals and longer-term initiatives, such as partnerships or policy-related work that I oversee as part of my role in the wider ecosystem.

I like to be present everyday at the office. I move from home when the traffic is a little lighter, then I do a lot of calls on the road, making sure I’m using all my time in the best way possible. Sometimes it feels like this time in the car is some of the most productive of the day. I arrive at the office between 10:30-11am. Then, after managerial tasks, I either have one or two meetings scheduled, or I go right into handling high priority items that come up.

A big part of my day involves balancing high-level management with hands-on problem solving — staying close enough to the ground to identify real challenges, while keeping the bigger picture in focus. I also work closely with our HR team on internal engagement — making sure teams feel empowered, recognized, and aligned with the broader vision. We invest a lot in motivation and ownership because people are at the heart of everything we do.

We’re a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange — which means that we have a quarterly cycle of reporting. Every month has a function. There are months where you’re really pushing to ramp up and make sure that you’re closing the quarter in the right way, with the right numbers in place, while trying to have the long-term view. I try to organize the day depending on which season of the course it is, to be most relevant and effective.

That long-term view also includes how we contribute to Egypt’s digital and financial inclusion roadmap — whether through expanding access to online payments or collaborating with banks to offer installment solutions that reach underserved communities.

I usually stay at the office maybe past 8pm, which is when I get the chance to have longer conversations with people from the leadership team and catch up with countries that are a bit behind us in terms of timezones to understand what is happening there and how we can learn from each other. I do that until I feel that I’m very exhausted for the day, or satisfied — and that signals my time to leave.

I keep thinking about what’s next for my company, the country, and even the whole of Africa — where I’m currently very immersed. I want to see a bigger impact, more development in bringing together the different streams we work on. It’s not just about growing the platform — it’s about building infrastructure that enables SMEs, empowers youth, and helps consumers access affordable, relevant services through technology.

I like to go back and read books that I’ve read before. I like to explore how a book — which had a different meaning for me a few years ago — sounds today and influences my thinking process differently.

A piece of advice I’ve been given by a few people, including my father, is to make sure to not let work take up time on weekends. I always remind myself of this and following this rule helps to keep me fresh and motivated.

I’m hopeful that technology can improve our lives a lot — and I hope to play a role on that front.

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