Goldman-Backed Startups Jumia, Twiga Team For Kenya Produce Delivery

Two African startups backed by Goldman Sachs — the eCommerce platform Jumia and the B2B AgTech startup Twiga Foods — have teamed for produce delivery in Kenya.

Nigeria-based Jumia will pickup Kenya-based Twiga’s fresh produce and make contactless delivery in the region. Payments will be made using Jumia’s JumiaPay app, Jumia Kenya CEO Sam Chappatte told TechCrunch in a Tuesday (April 28) report.

“We pulled together the core basics that a family would need for a week or two weeks,” Chappatte said. “It’s 28 kilograms of fruit and vegetables. It’s delivered in an hour and a half and they save 50 percent versus supermarkets.”

The partnership taps the strength of each startup while at the same time giving people a safe and economical way to obtain food during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is making its way through East Africa.

Twiga Foods was co-founded in 2014 by Peter Njonjo and Grant Brooke and sources fresh and processed food from thousands of farmers and food manufacturers. It uses a network of more than 17,000 producers and delivers several times a week to over 8,000 retailers. The startup raised $30 million in a Series B equity round in October.

The eCommerce platform Jumia was co-founded in 2012 by Sacha Poignonnec, Raphael Kofi Afaedor and Tunde Kehinde. It has partnered with over 81,000 local African companies and entrepreneurs and has created more than 5,000 jobs. The company went public in April 2019 and was the first African tech company backed by VC to list on the NYSE.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of Tuesday (April 28), there were 21,388 coronavirus cases in Africa and 877 confirmed deaths. Kenya ranks 13th in coronavirus cases on the continent.

Jumia is also using its platform to deliver information, delivery and supplies as the region fights the coronavirus. The company partnered with vendors such as Reckitt Benckiser to offer contactless delivery of food and other necessities to all areas, including remote and rural locations.