Solutions (533)
With the emergence of digital reading platforms, it has become easier to sell content online. In Egypt, a tech entrepreneur offers a similar solution to Arab authors.
Kotobna is a digital platform developed by an Egyptian eponymous startup. It helps Arab authors publish their content online and get an audience.
Apart from its web platform, the solution has a mobile application accessible on Android and iOS. Through the app, Internet users can access various books, including short stories- collections, poems comics, biographies, and specialized books.
With Kotobna, the Egyptian startup offers an alternative solution to authors who are unable to get their works published, and above all to new authors.
Its pricing strategy depends on the popularity of the book. According to Egypt Innovate, the books are free for the first 25 readers and then, the startup starts charging “readers a small fee to benefit the writer.”
It is really easy for authors to join the platform. They just need to register as a new user and click on the “Publish your book now” link on the homepage. Then, they will follow the required procedure.
In August 2022, the platform’s founder, Mohammed Gamal, was selected as one of the 50 finalists for Africa's Business Heroes competition, which entitles finalists to a slice of a US$1.5 million prize fund.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The solution was initially developed to help one of the co-founders' sister overcome dyslexia, a learning disability that can pose huge problems for children.
Sghartoon is a teletherapy platform developed by a Tunisian eponymous start-up. It helps parents and therapists detect learning difficulties, including dyslexia in children, and turn them into "superpowers" through educational games.
Through its mobile app -available for Android and iOS devices, users can register for its services by creating accounts either as parents, therapists, or even a child.
The child can then take an online exam to detect the presence of a learning disability. If a disability is detected, parents and therapists can monitor children’s progress thanks to the games embedded in the platform.
Sghartoon also offers parents and therapists access to a digital game library, a patient management tool with the results of various sessions, and a calendar management tool.
Its Android app has already been downloaded more than a thousand times on PlayStore. In 2020, the startup was among the eight ventures selected for the fifth cohort of the Flat6Labs accelerator, winning a check of US$65,000. The following year, it was one of the eleven African startups that won the Migration Entrepreneurship Prize. The financial supports allowed it to accelerate its growth in the Tunisian market and consider a possible expansion to other countries.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
In African countries, small-scale farmers contribute a significant portion of the food supply. They are nevertheless affected by several problems including lack of funding, post-harvest, and yield losses. In Ethiopia, a tech entrepreneur has decided to tackle the issue of yield loss by leveraging digital technologies.
Lersha is a digital solution developed by an Ethiopian eponymous startup. It allows access to agricultural inputs for farmers and helps them hire mechanization services and request dynamic agro-climatic advice.
Smallholder farmers can access its services via its mobile app and call center. Once farmers download its app, they need to register their accounts by providing some personal information. The startup has also dispatched agents to familiarize farmers with the tools and services it offers. Via those agents, the farmers can also access its services.
Currently, Lersha has identified more than 44,160 farmers. It has deployed over 88 agents to manage those farmers and added more than 172 mechanization service providers to its database. Its Android app has been downloaded more than 500 times according to stats shown by PlayStore, the official Android Appstore.
In 2022, Lersha was among the eight startups selected for the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) Innovation Fund which aims to support solutions that boost low-income and vulnerable communities’ capacity to adapt to, anticipate or absorb climate-related shocks or stresses.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
With the technological revolution underway, Africa needs to build its tech talent pool. The first step in that endeavor is to teach the youth how to code.
EaziCode is a digital platform developed by a South African eponymous startup. It connects young people who want to learn to code with experienced tutors.
"We were able to identify in our research that most local curriculums for primary and secondary education in South Africa do not have programming as a taught fundamental skill. Within an increasingly digital world, our goal is to bridge this gap and enable students to learn to program and build creative products at a much younger age," said EaziCode founder Thato Tshukudu to explain why the platform was launched.
Most of the courses offered feature a variety of fun programming activities designed to stimulate creativity. The curriculum is inspired by Google and the tutors are computer science students from South Africa's top universities trained to deliver the courses pedagogically.
EaziCode offers free and paid sessions. About 20 learners are taken in monthly for the paid sessions against some 30 learners for the free sessions monthly. At the end of their training, every learner receives a completion certificate.
According to Thato Tshukudu, the startup is mainly focused on the South African market but it plans to extend to other African countries. "We currently have two paid courses, introduction to web development and a Scratch course, which we have seen great financial success with. Due to our business model, we have very few operating expenses and thus it is easy for us to make a profit. We do believe that we are still in the early stages of our growth but with the current success of all our courses, potential partnerships shortly as well as our focus on growing our selection of courses, we hope to see an exponential increase in turnover," he indicated.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The solution helps Mauritians in need get loans and individuals help their compatriots while making small profits in the process.
FinClub is a fintech solution developed by a Mauritian eponymous start-up, launched in 2018. It allows users to borrwwo money directly from other users with no middleman in the process.
“FinClub acts as a facilitator to connect Lenders directly with Borrowers. Using a seamless and fully automated online platform, with minimal overheads, we pass on the savings to Borrowers who get competitive loans and to Lenders who get higher interest rates,” the startup explains on its website.
To access its services, users can register their accounts, either as lenders or borrowers, via the solution’s mobile app -accessible for Android and iOS devices-. Then they need to upload the required documents.
Once fully verified, borrowers can start borrowing funds for emergency purposes and lenders can put their money to work as FinClub connects to “credit-worthy” borrowers.
Currently, the solution’s Android app has been downloaded more than a thousand times on PlayStore. In 2022, FinClub was selected along with seven other Mauritian startups to take part in Viva Technology, one of the European most important tech events that help gain national and international exposure.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The digital solution aims to help people stay fit.
Eat & Fit is a digital platform developed by a Tunisian eponymous startup to help its users have a good nutritional follow-up. It allows the said users to buy diet foods and have them delivered.
The balanced and varied meals it offers help users maintain the nutritional proportions required for specific purposes, be it weight gain, weight loss, or muscle toning. Every week, the platform customizes the meals and adapts them to help its users quickly reach their goals.
To access its services, users must register, subscribe to one of its plans and then meet a nutritionist for a complete assessment. The result of that assessment informs the instruction given to chefs for the meals delivered to every user. Users also receive nutritional and sports support with regular follow-up.
For a healthier environment, Eat & Fit seeks the best ways to reduce its ecological footprint. It also adopts a "zero waste" policy by calculating the exact amount of ingredients needed for every meal. Currently, it is only operational in Tunisia but, it plans to expand to other countries in the region.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Although agriculture is a significant contributor to the economies of most African countries, the continent has no or just a few agricultural banks. This significantly impedes the development of the sector but, thanks to new technologies, entrepreneurs are stepping in to fill the void left by authorities.
Emata is a digital solution developed by a Ugandan eponymous startup. It allows farmers access to loans to invest in their farms. It also gives them the possibility to create an online business to sell their products.
"We invest in farmers and dare them to dream big. […] We install Emata on your cooperative or aggregator's computer and phone. Our local impact team trains your staff on how to use it. […]. The cooperative or aggregator uses Emata to register farmer deliveries, update prices, create payment schedules, and share daily SMS updates with farmers," the Emata platform indicates
The platform enables the collection of crucial data on new online business operations. Such data informs new decisions aimed at improving operating performance. It should also be noted that the startup uses credit scoring algorithms to identify good farmers and offer loans they can afford. According to Emata, these are "instant and affordable loans," that allows beneficiaries “to invest in the productivity of their farms.”
To date, the startup has supported 8,091 farmers, issuing 1,429 loans. In 2021, it was selected, along with 11 other startups, to participate in the third edition of CATAPULT: Inclusion Africa. This allowed Emata to gain visibility and strengthen its presence in the Ugandan market.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Côte d’Ivoire currently has an important shortage of physicians, with 1.4 doctors for every 10,000 individuals. E-health solutions are therefore important tools that can help bridge the gap. In that context, Skanmed wants to help by leveraging new technologies.
Skanmed is an e-health solution developed by Ivorian start-up Skan Technologies, launched in 2011. It allows users to remotely consult doctors, notably general physicians, pediatricians, and cardiologists.
Once registered on the e-health platform, users can search for doctors by specialty or by name. They can click on each medical practitioner suggested to check their information, register on their waiting list, or request an urgent video consultation.
In addition to the online consultations, the healthtech solution also offers home service. It has a team of doctors and nurses ready to provide home care 24 hours a day.
In 2021, Skanmed was the winner of the CGECI’s Grand Prix Business Plan Competition. The healthtech also won the first innovation prize awarded by the Ivorian Ministry of Health the same year. Currently, it plans to conquer the whole country before expanding outside. However, its debut was shaky as Skan founder Anicet Amani explains.
"The main challenge we faced was the lack of trust. During the prospecting phase, after the first version of the app, hospitals and physicians were not buying into our idea,” he said. The skepticism, however, disappeared after the startup signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The growing number of fintechs in Africa is comforting many countries in their ambition to develop cashless economies. In Ethiopia, innovative solutions are being shaped to accelerate this development.
One of them is ArifPay, a fintech solution developed by a local startup of the same name. The solution is an app that allows users to transfer, save and receive money directly with their mobile phones. The fintech was founded in 2021 by Habtamu Tadesse (pictured, center) and has already raised over $3.5 million in expansion funds. With his startup, the entrepreneur seeks to provide convenient, innovative, safe, and secure electronic payment processing services and platforms for the Ethiopian market.
“ArifPay aspires to make a significant contribution to the financial sector by offering digital-based payments services that meet the needs of consumers and merchants towards cash-lite transactions in line with the national agenda of the digital economy,” Habtamu Tadesse said. “We also believe ArifPay will support the country’s aspiration towards building a digital economy by empowering businesses and entrepreneurs who are looking for digital payment solutions to digitalize their business and services deliveries,” he pointed out.
The app is available on both android and iOS systems. Merchants using the app will be able to make electronic invoices, record taxes, and perform 100% cashless transactions with their clients if they also use ArifPay.
In addition to the mobile and web platforms, the fintech has developed a mobile point-of-sale system that will allow ATM cardholders to conduct electronic transactions on smartphones.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
The solution aims to facilitate the acquisition of real estate properties for the Senegalese population.
Alpha Digicrédit is a digital platform developed by a Senegalese eponymous start-up. It aims to democratize access to housing for Senegalese, both locals and the diaspora, by allowing access to real estate loans.
According to Dina El Kadry, the mastermind behind the solution, with Alpha, users have a precise idea of the overall cost of their real estate acquisitions (both the loan and the fees), thus avoiding additional costs. They can also negotiate the best conditions, with experts helping them reduce costs along the entire acquisition process, he adds.
The startup has a mobile app that provides users with all the information they need when they initiate an acquisition process. It then gives them information to assess the quality of the property they want and choose the adequate financing model.
Through the mobile app, on registration, users can view all the properties listed on the platform and use the mortgage calculator to assess whether their acquisition projects are feasible.
"For many Senegalese and even Africans living on the continent or abroad, acquiring a real estate property is a life goal. [..] As a single point of contact, Alpha manages the entire process by applying for loans and dealing with notaries insurance companies, and developers. It oversees the case till completion,” Dina El Kadry explains.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
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Though they are not yet popular like fintech and healthtech solutions, insuretech tools are garnering a fair share of attention in Africa. In Rwanda, a tech entrepreneur has developed a solution to allow access to decent healthcare for corporate employees.
Eden Care is a digital platform developed by a Rwandan eponymous start-up. It helps users subscribe to health insurance without even passing through insurance brokers.
"Eden Care was founded to create the kind of health insurance we wanted for ourselves – one that is affordable and doesn’t require filling six pages of documents at the hospital and a three-hour wait time. One where we can easily see our benefits and provides wellness tools, community, and incentives to enable us to get and stay healthy,” explains Moses Mukundi, CEO and founder of Eden Care.
The solution offers customizable and affordable health plans allowing firms to subscribe to plans based on the number of their employees. It boasts an extensive network of providers for good national coverage. If necessary, it resorts to telehealth.
It significantly reduces the paperwork with faster pre-authorizations and also reduced reimbursement times for medical providers.
"We see Eden Care as having what it takes to deliver that increase in value and service for consumers. […]By digitizing insurance processes and providing a wellness-first insurance cover to employers, Eden Care is making quality health insurance accessible to an underserved market – growing SMEs and businesses,” says Arnold Mwangi, partner at the Dutch impact investment firm DOB Equity, which contributed to the healthtech startup’s recent pre-seed round.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
It is sometimes challenging to send money to relatives in Africa because of the high fees charged by transfer companies. The situation has improved in recent years, with tech entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions to address the issue.
Yalla Xash is a fintech solution developed by a Moroccan eponymous startup. It allows users to quickly send money to Canada, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, via its mobile app.
Using its mobile app -Android and iOS apps, registered users can send funds, which will be available for withdrawals in cash within 30 seconds. For bank transfers, it takes a max of 48 hours to clear.
The startup claims its withdrawal fees, which start from CAD1.99 (US$1.5), are up to six times lower than the competition. It always sends SMSs to notify recipients of incoming transactions and the details of the specific transactions. Also, once the funds sent are withdrawn it sends SMSs to senders informing them of the successful withdrawal.
Currently, PlayStore data shows its Android app has been downloaded more than 5,000 times. After the Covid-19 pandemic, it recorded a 35% rise in transaction volume and is steadily gaining ground in Africa. It has over 4,300 pickup points in Morocco. In June 2021, it announced the raise of MAD6 million (US$560,000) from the Maroc Numeric Fund, which was seduced by its solution and social impact.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
From Mali, where it has established a strong base, the startup wants to conquer other African countries. It has already taken initial steps in that regard by entering two additional countries.
Sama Money is a fintech solution developed by a Malian eponymous start-up. It allows its users to send money anywhere in Mali at rates 60% cheaper than the competition.
On its website, the fintech startup behind the solution explains that it aims to boost financial inclusion in Africa. For that purpose, it “developed an innovative and accessible system that offers not only very competitive rates but also a multi-channel solution that can be used with or without an Internet connection.” It also offers additional services that can be paid fee-free using the Sama e-wallet”
The solution is accessible via a mobile app, available for Android and iOS devices. Once they sign up with a Sama account, users can access the various services offered, including money transfers and withdrawals, electricity and water bill payments, airtime top-ups, etc.
It is worth noting that several institutions have adopted Sama Money for various payments, including Covid-19 financial assistance, scholarship, insurance, salaries, and pensions. It is also accessible via a USSD code, which allows rural communities with no access to the internet to use its services.
According to PlayStore data, the Android version of its mobile app has already been downloaded more than 100,000 times. This year, the solution was scaled into Côte d’Ivoire and Burundi. It intends to enter more African markets.
Adoni Conrad Quenum
Despite public authorities’ efforts, not everyone has access to education in Africa. Tech entrepreneurs are entering the field, leveraging digital solutions to bring education to everyone.
Foondamate is a study chatbot developed by a South African eponymous startup. The chatbot allows users access to online courses. The startup behind the bot was founded, in 2020, to help students access study materials.
"At FoondaMate, we believe talent is equally distributed yet opportunities are not. There are often competing factors that contribute to educational inequality – not just in Africa, but across the world – and our technology is helping to universally address these," said Dacod Magagula, CEO and co-founder of FoondaMate, the startup behind the chatbot.
The chatbot can be accessed on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The bot, which speaks 13 languages (French, English, Sesotho, afrikaans, setswana, etc.), usually asks questions to assess first-time users’ education level. Then, they can assess the education materials and support they want. Among other things, they can download documents and memos, find solutions to maths problems and ask the meaning of words they don’t understand.
The startup claims more than 900,000 users in about 30 countries. "It's humbling to think that so many learners trust us to support their desire to learn, and that's a responsibility we take incredibly seriously," CEO Magagula indicated earlier this year when the startup raised US$2 million to accelerate its expansion.
Adoni Conrad Quenum