Solutions (425)
Distance learning platforms have become choice alternatives to traditional education. In Africa, there is a growing number of such platforms, which offer diversified courses adapted to learners’ needs.
Super Fny is an edtech platform developed by an Egyptian startup. It enables access to professional training videos. Basically, Super Fny aims to improve the technical skills of professionals and students to better prepare them for job market challenges.
Currently, it has no mobile app. So, to access its services, users need to visit its website, register for an account, and browse the training courses offered. Among other things, they can learn leather goods and leather manufacturing techniques, bag, and wallet making, the basics of entrepreneurship, and more. Some courses are available for free and others cost up to 150 Egyptian pounds (around $4.85).
In addition to training, the startup also connects companies with trained technicians. Doing so, it enables its learners to get work related to the courses they take on its platform.
Super Fny has over 35 partners, more than 34,000 trainees, over 200 trainers, and offers some sixty training courses. Present in 17 governorates of Egypt, it aims to expand throughout the Arab world. For that purpose, it completed a funding round in 2022. The amount of the deal was not disclosed but we learn that the proceeds will fund the development of its technology and accelerate the implementation of its growth plan.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Africa has historically been the continent with one of the lowest banking penetration rates. Those rates have been growing over the past few years but, with the introduction of digital alternatives, the rise is poised to be faster.
PiggyVest is a fintech solution developed by a Lagos-based startup founded in 2016. It enables individuals and businesses to save towards goals like launching a business, buying a car, or furthering education. It was founded by five passionate entrepreneurs, who succeeded in raising around $1.2 million in funding to accelerate its growth.
"When we started, there were 22 banks in Nigeria. So there was quite a lot of option and yet, young people were storing their savings in wooden boxes under their beds. This showed us that people might have access to financial services but they weren’t developed to serve their needs," explained Odunayo Eweniyi, co-founder and chief operations officer of PiggyVest
To access the various services offered by the solution, users need to download its mobile app –Android or iOS version– and register for an account. Among other things, PiggyVest offers several ways to save, such as goal-oriented savings, savings in foreign currencies such as the dollar (flex dollar), or fixed savings, which involves blocking funds for a set period without having access to them until maturity. Its savings plans remunerate users with 5 to 15% interest.
"With PiggyVest, users can save as much as they want as frequently or infrequently as they want, be it every day, every week, or every month. [...] We offer quarterly free withdrawal days when users can take money out if they need to without any cost. Should a user want to withdraw their money early or outside of these days, they will be charged a fee to discourage them from doing so," indicated Odunayo Eweniyi. PiggyVest claims over 4 million users. In 2021, its users saved over $480 million.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In recent years, on-demand transport applications have become genuine competitors to traditional cabs. In response, some cab associations have decided to enter this segment too.
Yo!Taxi is a mobile application developed by a South African startup launched by twelve meter cab associations to compete against giants like Uber and Bolt. It enables users to order cabs for their various journeys around town.
Through its Android and iOS apps, users can register for accounts, using their phone numbers and email addresses. To order a cab, they need to enter their destination and press the "Get my Yo!Taxi" button to send the request to drivers in the area. After this step, they have to click on "Pick me up from here" to choose a driver if several are proposed, then confirm the fare based on the app's estimate.
The driver's details can be accessed by clicking on his or her profile. It is worth noting that the startup collects and verifies the information of each of its drivers before their maiden trips. It also has security mechanisms like cameras, an emergency button, and a vehicle tracker to ensure the safety of cab occupants.
In addition to on-demand transportation, the South African company also offers delivery services. Whether it's food from a local restaurant or a parcel, drivers are available to carry out the errands. Since its launch, the Android version of the application has been downloaded more than 10,000 times.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The solution was launched by two tech entrepreneurs, with the aim of giving people access to decent labor.
Saweblia is a digital platform developed by a Moroccan startup. It connects users with craftsmen such as electricians, plumbers, handymen, and painters. The Casablanca-based startup behind the solution was founded, in 2015, by Reda Lakhlifi and Mohammed Ait Addi. It aims to revolutionize the breakdown service market by combating dishonest service providers.
The startup is yet to launch a mobile application for its solution. So, users can access its services only through its web platform or its Whatsapp account. Whether it's repairing a door handle, an electrical fault, a water leak, or even a jammed lock, Saweblia has the manpower to deal with almost every problem.
"All our craftsmen have a legal status and their identity and criminal record are checked by our teams. Our craftsmen follow a multi-step process to ensure their expertise and know-how. They pass several levels of validation before arriving at your premises. Once they've been validated, we train them in our internal quality charter and monitor their progress to ensure continuous quality of service," explains the startup.
Currently, its services are accessible to users in Casablanca and Marrakech. There is no need to create an account to request the services. When needed, a user only has to click on the “I need a service” button on the web platform, choose his/her city, and select the type of service needed. For multiple services, users need to submit personalized requests. To do this, they need to describe their specific situations and add pictures to allow the customer relations managers to take over from there.
"We may need to arrange a visit with one of our works coordinators for complex requests. Once the requirement is clear, we send you a quote within 20 minutes to 48 hours (depending on the nature of the work to be carried out). As soon as you confirm the estimate, we schedule an intervention according to your availability," explains the platform.
Saweblia offers customers a range of payment options once the work has been completed. These include online payment by credit card on the website, cheque, bank transfer, or cash. In addition, if the cost of the order exceeds 1,000 Moroccan dirhams (around $97), the startup requires a deposit.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Inspired by the Russian instant messaging platform Telegram, two Ethiopian entrepreneurs decided to set up a similar platform more suited for local users. The platform was almost an instant hit.
Hulugram is a mobile application developed by an Ethiopian startup. It enables users to access several services such as instant messaging, online payment solutions, online marketplaces, and even translation into over 20 languages.
Users can create their Hulugram accounts, through its Android-only app, with just their phone number. To create that account, a user needs to input his/her phone number, receive the verification code, and then configure the profile. Among other things, a user can share stories like on Instagram, and exchange messages with contacts and people near their location.
Thanks to its “People Nearby” feature, the platform allows users to discuss with nearby users. "To display details about the people, users can tap on the avatar icon. Users can enable or disable their profile visibility by tapping on the icon that is on the top right of the screen," the platform indicates.
Its "Marketplace" feature allows users to buy or sell online. When a user chooses to sell goods through Hulugram, he/she needs to create a store and add the item to be sold. On the other hand, when the user chooses to buy, he/she will be able to browse the online stores and the items they are selling.
Hulugram also allows its users to listen to music and get text translated. Since its launch, the application has been downloaded more than 500,000 times. In 2023, it was selected for the summer cohort of the Techstars Toronto accelerator.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The startup behind the solution was primarily operational in the delivery sector. It later formed partnerships to facilitate the purchase and delivery of goods from certain retailers.
Quench is a mobile application developed by a South African startup. It enables users to buy goods from its partners and get them delivered. The said startup was founded in 2016. Its aim is to "create a convenient shopping experience, giving [users] more time at home and less time in stores."
The mobile app is available on iOS and Android. Through the app, a user can register for an account and buy groceries and essentials, alcoholic beverages as well as food.
To place an order, users must first enter their address by clicking on the "Account" button and then on "My Delivery Addresses". This first step is to determine whether there are delivery options for the addresses imputed by users. If there are no delivery options for the addresses imputed, users can not proceed further.
However, if there are delivery options, users can add items to their baskets, and checkout to validate orders. When ordered products run out of stock, Quench always contacts users to inquire whether it should replace them.
Since its launch, the Android version of its mobile application has been downloaded more than 50,000 times, according to Play Store data. It wants to become a super app, and in April 2021 it raised an undisclosed amount to kick-start this project by strengthening its partnerships and improving its technology.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In some regions, in Africa, access to medicines can prove challenging. Startups operating in the distribution of pharmaceuticals are interesting alternatives for people living in those regions.
Afia Pharma is a digital solution developed by Rwandan firm Afia Group Ltd. It enables users to purchase pharmaceutical products online from the comfort of their homes. The Kigali-based start-up was founded in 2020 by Biganza Papy.
We are “on a mission to make quality medications accessible, available, and affordable to billions of people across Africa, to ensure that everyone has access to medicine at any time and everywhere,” Afia Pharma stated on its website.
Through its mobile apps –Android and iOS apps–, users can create accounts and purchase pharmaceuticals, from antivirals, vitamins, and antimalarials to anti-inflammatories.
To order on Afia Pharma, users need to simply search for the products they are looking for, add them to their cart, select the delivery option, and confirm the order. Users can upload their prescriptions for products that require so.
Afia Pharma accepts most electronic payment methods, such as credit cards. To help users take their medications as prescribed, Afia’s mobile app includes a reminder option.
In 2023, the healthtech solution was selected to join the second cohort of the pan-African Investing in Innovation (i3) program, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Microsoft, among others. This selection entitles it to $50,000 in funding to accelerate its growth across Africa.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The solution was co-funded by a Nigerian-born entrepreneur who spent the bulk of his professional career working for international IT firms.
WallX is a fintech solution developed by a Nigerian startup of the same name. It enables users, both individuals and corporate entities, to send and receive money, receive payments, and settle online transactions. The startup, based in Lekki in Lagos State and New York in the USA, was founded in 2020 by Richmond Ogigai and Subomi Jegunmah.
"I had seen firsthand the experiences of small business owners when it comes to payments and how their businesses eventually die out because they don’t have the basic tools or knowledge to build out their businesses. [...] Things like smart digital payment tools, record keeping, hiring, and sales management, are still very much done in a very manual way, and they end up running your business down," says Richmond Ogigai.
The solution features a mobile application accessible for Android and iOS devices. Once downloaded, users must create an account to access the various services it offers. Both individuals and companies can generate payment links as well as PIN codes to easily collect merchant payments or gift vouchers, pay electricity bills, buy airtime, or make monetary contributions such as participatory financing.
Since its launch, the Android version of the mobile application has already been downloaded more than a thousand times. WallX has been selected for the Spring 2023 cohort of New York accelerator Starta. It is also one of the 12 startups selected for the second cohort (2023) of the Fast Accelerator program supported by Microsoft.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In Africa, access to pharmacies and hospitals can prove challenging in some regions. To address the problem, e-health solutions have been introduced.
Zendawa is an e-health platform developed by a Kenyan startup. It enables access to pharmaceutical products and facilitates online appointments with doctors. The Nakuru-based start-up was founded in 2022 by Wilfred Chege. It aims to establish sustainable solutions in the health technology sector.
Currently, the solution has no mobile app. So, users have to visit its web platform to browse the various services it offers, without even having to create an account. Users need no account to even book an appointment. They just have to click on the "Make an appointment" button and fill in the required information, including the name, e-mail address, phone number, appointment date, and details about the medical condition.
Zendawa offers pharmacists a cash and inventory management service and access to working capital. "We leverage on Artificial Intelligence, based on data from our pharmacies' digital suite, to come up with credit scores which unlock access to capital for our pharmacies from our lending partners," it says on its web platform.
The platform also has a feature that allows doctors to share patients’ medical records. "We provide our medical practitioners with an integrated digital suite from which they can share patient's medical records and leverage on Artificial Intelligence to provide fully informed care decisions," Zendawa states.
Zendawa has launched a deferred payment service to facilitate supplies to pharmacies in the event of stock shortages. In 2023, it was selected as one of 29 African startups to take part in the second cohort of the Investing in Innovation (i3) program.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
With the acceleration of digital transformation across Africa, private and public companies and public administration are looking for digital skills. This startup offers a solution with its edtech platform.
Stutern is an edtech platform developed by a Nigerian startup. It enables access to IT courses online. Based in Lagos, the startup behind the edtech platform was founded in 2015 by Kehinde Ayanleye (photo, right) and Taiwo Ayanleye (photo, left).
On Stutern, users can choose from a range of courses, including UI/UX design, front-end and back-end web development, data science, and mobile development. As the solution has no mobile app, users have to visit its web platform, create their accounts, and register their interest in the said courses.
To register their interest, they need to fill out a form stating their interest and motivation and answer questions about their general skills in writing and video form. They will then answer specific and technical questions relating to the chosen program. Their suitability to the desired courses will be determined based on the various answers provided.
Training lasts between 16 and 24 weeks, with two sessions per week. It's worth noting that courses are held live online, and learners can ask questions for better understanding. The edtech startup allows learners to pay their fees in three different ways. These include full payment, payment in installments, and a revenue-sharing agreement. The latter means that the learner pays part of the tuition during the course and then repays the rest after finding a job, according to a revenue-sharing agreement.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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The Kenyan agritech company aims to be a modern and advanced alternative to its competitors. It uses megadata to improve its production.
Founded in 2015 by Joseph Rehmann and Steve Moran, Victory Farms is a Kenyan agritech company specializing in tilapia farming and commercialization. Through its web platform, users can purchase tilapia in bulk or per unit (depending on the size of the fish).
"We sell to mass market Africans via a highly innovative RTM cold chain which uses predictive data to push fish to thousands of market women every day all across Kenya with less than 1% spoilage. [...] This allows us to innovate and create more cost-effective solutions through our systems and the power of data to deliver a better, fresher product to more consumers," explained Joseph Rehmann, CEO of Victoria Farms, in 2022.
To place an order with Victoria Farms, buyers need to visit the startup’s web platform –as it currently has no mobile application, create an account, or sign in if they already have. They can then place their orders and pay using the mobile money service M-Pesa or via bank card before or at delivery.
To help buyers locate the nearest branches, the startup issued a USSD code that can be dialed to locate one or more of its 54 sales outlets where more than 15,000 market women stock up on fish.
Since its launch, the company has raised over $43 million to, among other things, improve its technology, develop its activities, and accelerate its growth both in and outside Kenya. “We’ve got several initiatives underway and planned to build the world’s first carbon-negative fish platform. And I think it’s very exciting because we’ve got a lot of tangible and measurable dimensions built into the business to achieve that,” indicated Joseph Rehmann.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Alpha Direct was founded in 2014 but, it came into the spotlight in 2021 when it announced record sales of around $4.8 million during the previous financial year.
Founded in 2014 by Arun Iyer (photo), Alpha Direct is a Botswanan startup operating in insurance technologies. Headquartered in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana, it announced the completion of a $600,000 funding round, in 2021, to accelerate its growth.
The startup has developed an eponymous insurtech solution to enable users to purchase various insurance policies right from their smartphones. The solution is accessible through an Android app or a web platform. Through those mediums, a user can create an account and choose the insurance policy that best suits his or her needs (from car insurance to travel insurance) and get a quote. Once the quote is obtained, the user can subscribe to the chosen policies if he/she agrees with the conditions.
Apart from subscribing to policies, through the Android and web platforms, a user can also submit claims. All that is needed is to fill out a form providing all the relevant information to ensure rapid processing.
Since its launch, the mobile application has been downloaded over a thousand times. The startup plans to conquer other regions in Botswana and enter the Zambian and South African markets.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Despite being democratized, the Internet is still not easily accessible in some African countries. Nevertheless, some tech entrepreneurs are doing their utmost best to offer connected populations tailor-made solutions and services.
Warani Shop is an e-commerce application developed by a Central African startup. It enables users to make online purchases and have them delivered to the address indicated during the ordering process. The Bangui-based start-up was founded in 2023 by Vianney Kanda.
"After numerous reflections on some of the problems faced by Central Africans, notably in accessing quality products, or getting products delivered, I decided to create Warani, which is a bridge between the customer and the seller. [...] Warani's main objective is to allow access to services and products for Central Africans," says Vianney Kanda.
Through the Warani mobile app –for Android and iOS devices, a user can create an account to access the services offered by the solution. From cosmetics and beauty products to kitchenware, hardware, loincloths and clothing, Warani Shop is a comprehensive online boutique. It integrates several payment methods, such as Visa card, Orange Money, or even cash on delivery.
Given that internet penetration is low in the Central African Republic –10.58% in 2021, according to the International Telecommunications Union– the startup has dedicated a number for orders by phone. Since its launch on Saturday, September 9, 2023, the Android version of its mobile app has already been downloaded more than a hundred times, according to Play Store data.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
After years of successful operations in Egypt, the super app decided to enter several Middle Eastern markets this year. To this end, it has signed several partnerships to enhance its services.
Yalla is a super app developed by an Egyptian startup. It enables users to send and receive money, pay merchants, and order food from partner restaurants. The Cairo-based startup behind it was founded in 2021 by Waleed Sadek.
Through its mobile app –available for Android and iOS devices only, users can create accounts to access its various services. In addition to the main services mentioned above, it also integrates on-demand transport, an online store, payment for data and airtime, insurance subscriptions, etc. Yalla also offers virtual cards to facilitate online commercial transactions.
"Yalla Card (physical & virtual in Yalla Super App) is the only financial account you will ever need to manage your money. It will help you send, receive, pay, withdraw, save, invest, and track your money," the startup explains on its website. It is also possible to make ATM withdrawals, lock and unlock the card in just one click, and set spending limits, right from the mobile app.
The super-app claims over 1.6 million users and more than 6 billion Egyptian pounds (approx. $194 million) in transactions since its launch. In addition to Egypt, it is also present in the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. Talking about the expansion into Saudi Arabia, which was announced last week, Waleed Sadek explains that his startup aims "to attract around one million Saudi users in the first year of operation, by offering the best possible services that meet” customers’ needs.
Adoni Conrad Quenum