He is reshaping Africa's trade networks through a digital approach that connects informal businesses with established industries. His journey combines innovation, strategy, and international outreach, reflecting a vision focused on modernizing local commerce.

Raphael Afaedor (photo), a Ghanaian entrepreneur specializing in distribution and e-commerce, is reshaping trade networks in Africa through a digital approach that connects informal players with industry. He is the co-founder and CEO of Kyosk Digital Services, a Nairobi-based company structuring retail trade on the continent.

Founded in 2019, Kyosk Digital Services connects small informal retailers, kiosks, farmers, and suppliers through a digital platform. This platform simplifies the distribution of essential goods while facilitating the financial and logistical inclusion of millions of economic actors.

The platform enables small shopkeepers, known as "dukas," to order food, electronics, or personal care products and receive deliveries in less than 24 hours. It provides manufacturers and suppliers with real-time visibility into the supply chain while reducing traditional logistical constraints.

In 2023, Kyosk Digital Services acquired KwikBasket, a company specializing in distributing agricultural products and providing services to farmers, commercial kitchens, and food chain participants.

Before founding Kyosk Digital Services, Afaedor co-founded the e-commerce startup Jumia Group in 2012, serving as CEO until 2014. That same year, he co-founded Supermart.ng in Nigeria, an online retailer of groceries and consumer goods.

Afaedor earned a bachelor's degree from the Czech Technical University in Prague in 2003, and a master’s degree in marketing in 2006 from the University of New York in Prague. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration and management from Harvard Business School.

His professional career began in 2004 in the Czech Republic at Monster, where he worked as a software engineer. In 2008, he joined Goldman Sachs in the United Kingdom as an investment manager. In 2009, he joined Notore, a food products company, as marketing and business development manager for West, Central, and North Africa.

Melchior Koba