Entrepreneurship Zone: 30 December 2019: Six African social enterprises that had people talking in 2019

[Bulls n Bears]

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As Africa tunes into the burgeoning movement of business for good, young
people across the continent are finding innovative solutions to problems
from illiteracy to pollution.

There are no figures for how many social enterprises have been started
across the continent, but the sector is growing with the emergence of tech
hubs and accelerators even in the world's least-developed countries, such as
Chad.

Here are six African social enterprises that had people talking in 2019:


1. mPharma


Ghana-based social enterprise mPharma manages prescription inventory for
pharmacies to make medicines more affordable for Africans. Started five
years ago, the business expanded in 2019 with the purchase of Kenya's
second-biggest pharmacy chain and the launch of new initiatives including a
financing programme for breast cancer treatment in Nigeria.

MPharma won $1.5 million this year from Ebay billionaire Jeff Skoll and
plans to eventually supply affordable drugs to public hospitals as well as
pharmacies, said founder Gregory Rockson.


2. Easy Solar


Easy Solar provides pay-as-you-go solar-powered lighting and charging
systems to people with no electricity access in Sierra Leone. In 2019, the
three-year-old company reached 15 of 16 districts in Sierra Leone and
expanded to neighbouring Liberia.

Founder Nthabiseng Mosia made the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list this year,
in the category of "game-changers" in technology. She plans to rapidly grow
the company's reach in 2020, she said, after passing 300,000 users this
year.


3. Toolboksi


Started in Tanzania, Toolboksi is an online platform that aims to reduce
unemployment in the informal sector by connecting people seeking carpentry,
plumping or construction work with local artisans and handymen skilled in
those areas.

The two-year-old company has facilitated over 3,000 transactions so far. In
2019 Toolboksi won Best Social Impact Start-up for its growth this year at
the Southern Africa Start-up Awards.


4. SiyaBuddy


SiyaBuddy is a recycling and waste management company in South Africa that
aims to create jobs while helping the environment. The start-up buys waste
from local collectors, mostly women, and sells it to recycling companies.

SiyaBuddy gained recognition and funding this year when it won the World
Export Development Forum young entrepreneurs pitch contest in Ethiopia.
Since 2017, it has created 21 jobs and supported over 1,000 waste-pickers.


5. Farmcrowdy


Farmcrowdy is a digital lending platform in Nigeria that connects farmers
with small investors who can sponsor them during a season and collect a
small return when they harvest. It aims to reduce hunger and poverty by
increasing food production.

With over 25,000 small-scale farmers involved, Farmcrowdy has been growing
quickly since it launched three years ago. It gained momentum in 2019,
winning a number of awards including Africa's Innovative Business of the
Year by the British Awards for African Development.


6. Eco-Warriors


Launched in Mauritius in 2019, Eco-Warriors is a mobile game application
that teaches children about climate change and conservation. It includes
monthly comic books distributed for free if young players participate in
recycling household waste.

Eco-Warriors is a few months old and has won several prizes and the support
of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It
aims to teach sustainability throughout the Indian Ocean region, including
in Reunion Island and Madagascar.



MPharma manages prescription inventory for pharmacies to make medicines more
affordable.

 

 

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