Pan-African telecom giant MTN Group has signed a partnership agreement with Johannesburg-based business-to-business (B2B) marketplace operator Dooka. The new partnership, announced by Dooka in a Wednesday (Sept. 7) press release, will help to transform MTN’s supply chain and lead to “digital transparency and greater efficiency for MTN’s suppliers,” the company said.
The partnership “brings efficiencies to every level of the supply chain,” MTN Group Executive and Chief Procurement Officer Dirk Karl said in the announcement. “It stands to transform the way businesses operate across Africa. I am extremely proud that MTN are the anchor partner with a truly African organization and a solution which is built specifically for Africa.”
Dooka CEO Toby Sparrow said the agreement “is a chance to revolutionize the supply chain” and “demonstrate to the world that the right tools enable corporations to create jobs, development and growth through good procurement strategy.”
He added, “Dooka represents a new way to connect buyers and sellers across every industry. We are leveling the playing field so businesses large and small across Africa can transact as easily as if shopping at home and using the latest digital technologies.”
In a commercial environment that is ripe for digitization, a number of tech startups have emerged in recent years looking to create solutions to the challenge of managing African supply chains.
For example, the B2B Marketplace Wasoko allows informal retailers can order products via SMS or mobile app, which are then automatically pinged to a warehouse or fulfillment center for free same-day delivery to their store — often in less than three hours.
Read more: African B2B Marketplace Wasoko Takes On Supply Chain Inefficiencies
Last month, the firm opened the Wasoko Innovation Hub in Zanzibar as part of a government-backed initiative to attract tech companies and workers to the East African island.
See also: B2B Marketplace Wasoko, Zanzibar Team to Build Innovation Hub
For all PYMNTS B2B and EMEA coverage, subscribe to the daily B2B and EMEA newsletters.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More