The solution is the result of one of its founder’s experience. The latter was assaulted when he was a student. After his painful experience, he decided to give others the means to quickly inform relevant authorities when they encounter such situations.  

Usalama is a digital solution developed by a Kenyan startup. It allows users to alert relevant authorities when they are threatened, assaulted or burgled.  The idea for the solution started from an unfortunate experience one of the founders had while still a student.

“One evening while going home I was suddenly surrounded by four men at gunpoint. I sadly realized that there was no way I could call for help. One of them punched me in the gut and as I was writhing in pain they ransacked me. The ordeal lasted for five minutes but afterwards I saw a problem,”   explains Edwin Inganji, one of the founders of Usalama. 

The solution has an Android app, through which users can register and select people to be contacted in case of emergency. The app uses GPS to pinpoint users’ exact location, which is transmitted to relevant people along with the time of danger facing the user. Four danger scenarios are predefined on the app and the user, in case of danger, can select one of them.

“Our focus as of now is on four types of emergencies: medical emergencies, security emergencies, roadside rescue and gender-based violence. In each of these areas we seek emergency service providers that offer services in the respective sector and sign them up for our platform,” Edwin indicates. 

Usalama sends a message with the location of the victim, the location of the rescuers, the three police stations closest to the victim, and the respective paths to the victim. When the contacts to be reached also have the application on their smartphone, they receive distress calls or notification prompting them to open the app and check the emergency.  

The app has already been downloaded more than 5,000 times. Its founders plan to launch it in other countries as more countries are faced with insecurity on the continent. 

In 2017, Usalama was a winner of the Innovating Justice BoostCamp of The Hague Institute for Innovation in Law (HiiL). It was awarded €20,000 in funding. In 2019, it was also selected for the Westerwelle Young Founders¸ program, which offers access to six months of mentoring and access to the program’s network.  

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The service was launched on April 1, 2022, by electric car assembler Solar Taxi. Officially, it covers the East Legon and airport area for the time being. 

Solar Taxi Ride is an electric vehicle ride-hailing service developed by Ghanaian start-up Solar Taxi. It allows users to travel and move goods from one place to another using eco-friendly vehicles and motorcycles at competitive prices. Its founding startup was launched, in 2018, by tech-policy expert Jorge Appiah.  

Through its Android and iOS apps, users can set up their Solar Taxi account to be able to hail the various rides available. Solar Taxi's fleet consists of solar-powered motorcycles, scooters, lounge cars, tricycles, and minivans. The startup offers attractive rates all thanks to its solar technology. 

“The company estimates to save the environment of two million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year while saving the average Ghanaian commuted by GH¢10,000 [about $839 each year on transportation cost,” indicated Gilbert Sefa Nuwordu, head of Solar Taxi Ride. 

Solar Taxi thus wants to reduce the rate charged by its competitors already on the market by 80%. Nevertheless, Gilbert Sefa Nuwordu was keen to point out that the very high prices of other on-demand transport applications are mainly due to the rising cost of fuel. The solution is not yet accessible in most major cities in Ghana but, its Android app has already been downloaded over a thousand times. These numbers prove that it is on the right track and its expansion could eventually bode well for Ghanaians.

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The solution aims to help merchants with their transportation needs.

Garri is a digital solution developed by an Ethiopian startup. It allows shippers to easily and reliably move their goods anywhere within Ethiopia using carriers and drivers approved by the startup. The solution, launched in 2020, has raised $100,000 to support its growth. 

It aims to eliminate freight logistics hassles by optimizing and digitizing every aspect of the industry. For that purpose, it developed mobile apps -for Android and iOS devices- to make the process easier. Shippers and drivers sign up and Garri handles driver approval to allow only trusted ones on its platform.

It explains that its “vetted drivers earn more money per trip, have a safer and more flexible work experience, and develop better relationships with transporters and shippers, with increased opportunity to own/operate their own truck.” 

“Garri works to find round trips and multileg to minimize empty miles and maximize customer earnings,” it added. 

Before booking a driver, shippers need to request a quote via the mobile app or the web platform. Once the price is agreed upon, Garri matches the shipment with the best carrier for the job. Then, when a driver is assigned to the shipment, the startup notifies the requester, who can then track the delivery in real-time.  Upon successful completion, all paperwork is handed to the requester.  

In 2022, Garri was selected among the 60 startups to participate in the second cohort of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund for Africa, receiving a share of the $4 million support dedicated to the participants. 

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Sourcing supplies has always been a challenging task for informal traders. The solution aims to address those challenges since its founder knows them very well for being the son of an informal trader. 

Alerzo is a b2B solution developed by a Nigerian startup. It allows informal traders to easily source their supplies online.  The startup, which founded the solution, was established in 2019, by Adewale Opaleye. Since its inception, it has raised about $16 million to improve its technology and accelerate growth.

“I started Alerzo to help my mom, a single mother who ran two informal retail stores to support me and my three siblings. Before Alerzo, she had to close her shop and travel for hours to buy inventory to stay in business. [...] Women are often victims of theft because street boys know retail store operators often carry cash. I wanted to apply what I learned in China to make life better for working mothers in Nigeria,” explains the founder. 

Through its Android and iOS apps, merchants can easily access Alerzo's services. They first need to create their accounts. Then, they can browse the registered wholesalers, stock up in just a few clicks and get their goods delivered for free within 24 hours. “With Alerzo, informal retailers can receive and make cashless payments, track store profitability better and facilitate a portfolio of digital services,” the platform reads. 

In 2021, the startup had a team of fewer than 250 people (according to Crunchbase data) and was working with about 150,000 informal merchants. In March 2023, it decided to lay off some of its staff because the economic environment in Nigeria was not what it projected it to be. 

“Given previous market dynamics, we hired very aggressively during the past couple of years to fuel quick growth and expansion across the country. This does not align now with the economic environment today, so we, unfortunately, had to make changes to our business to be more focused around pursuing strong unit economics,” it said in a release.  

Despite this lean period, Alerzo is not giving up on its expansion plans. The Nigerian e-commerce platform wants to expand across Africa and beyond. 

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