Twiga Foods started in 2014 to export bananas from Kenya. Soon, they realized that they could do a lot more good for people in their own country.
Even though it may seem obvious to sell locally grown fruits and vegetables to Kenyans, this task was made much harder than it should have been by inefficient supply chains and random connections between nodes in the distribution network.
On the first day, they did everything wrong. They couldn’t sell a single banana at the wholesale market because no one would buy them. Then, Mama Mboga, who was very brave, put in their very first order.
From that day on, they learned that working directly with her and the other frontline vendors was good for them, the vendors, and the clients they served. As they grew, they teamed up with more growers and distributors to offer a wider range of fruits and vegetables.
Today, Twiga is a technology and service company that runs a network for distributing fresh food, household items, and other goods that go bad quickly. They have also added digital and financial options for vendors and suppliers to our services. This will help them grow their businesses and make the supply chain work better.
Twiga has affected more than 140,000 small merchants in Kenya, which is about 25% of the sector as a whole.
They have learned what it takes to be successful in the African retail business through their own experiences. By using technology, the fact that most people have cell phones, and distribution and logistics, they’re helping local businesses and giving their customers more choices of fresh food, produce, and consumer goods.
Their online app and toll-free phone center are both available 24/7, so retailers can buy from their marketplace whenever it’s most convenient for them. Every day, their fleet of trucks drives 12,000 kilometers and moves more than 2 million kilograms of goods. This is the same as going three times around the world.
How it Works
Soko Yetu
Their revolutionary software makes it possible for sellers and buyers from all over the world to connect using their mobile devices at any time and in any place.
Sokoloan
Through their integrated “Buy Now, Pay Later” program, they have worked with banks to give African shops the cash they need to keep running.
Soko Wallet
With their mobile app, they give merchants a safe and reliable way to store their money in an electronic wallet.
Soko Call
Even though most people have smartphones, there are still some suppliers who prefer to take orders over the phone. Twiga’s Sokocall is a toll-free call center solution with the same features as the Soko Yetu mobile app.
Twiggy
SokoBot, also called Twiggy, was made because many of its suppliers use WhatsApp and they wanted to help their customers all the time.
Twiga Fresh
From their commercial farms, consistent, high-quality food is sent straight to our retail stores.
Private Label
They can offer their suppliers more basic, high-quality items that are easy to get at the best prices Because of our private label products.
Twiga Agent
Farmers in Africa can sell their goods to people from all over the world through their online auction platform.
Sokolytics
Their analytics platform tells suppliers how well their products are doing in real-time, so they can make smart, data-driven decisions that help them grow their businesses.
Founders
Peter Njonjo
Peter Njonjo is the co-founder and CEO of Twiga. He is in charge of their plans to change the way people shop in Africa.
Before starting Twiga, Peter was the General Manager of Coca-East Cola’s Africa franchise and then the President of the company’s West Africa business unit.
Peter has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Strategic Management and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Business Administration. He is also a Certified Public Accountant.
Grant Brooke
Grant Brooke is the current CEO and co-founder of Twiga Foods.
Before this, he was one of the people who started and ran Twiga Foods.
Grant Brooke went to the University of Oxford as part of his educational journey.
Investors & Funding Rounds
Creadev
Creadev, a French investment group wholly owned by the Mulliez family, gave $5 million to Twiga Foods, a Kenyan mobile business-to-business food supply network. This will make it possible for the company to help more small farmers in Kenya.
In the last two years, investors like the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank, the private equity company TLcom, and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme have given more than $28 million to make Twiga one of the best-funded companies in Africa.
Main Competitors
Ralali: This is an online business-to-business platform where buyers and sellers from the same area can connect.
Snappy Shopper: Snappy Shopper can bring your food, drinks, and home goods from the store to your door in as little as 30 minutes.
GrocerApp: Their users can buy from a wide range of categories at low prices and have their groceries brought right to their homes.
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