African startups have been making headlines around the word for their innovative solutions to a variety of dilemmas and problems. Many living on the world’s second largest continent face very real barriers to services ranging from access to banking to reliable power. DotCom Magazine’s Top 5 African startups are anticipated to experience significant growth while providing unique services.
The Sun Exchange
The Sun Exchange is a multi-faceted startup incorporating solar power, crowdfunding and cryptocurrency. The Sun Exchange sells solar cells to individuals or companies that are then leased to businesses, schools and other facilities. The award-winning company collects the monthly rent and disburses payments in local currency or Bitcoin.
The Sun Exchange is helping individuals and business build wealth, while providing economical and sustainable power to underserved populations. The startup is utilizing blockchain technology in a new and innovative way that also promotes the use of solar power. Solar projects encompass schools and non-profit organizations to the Knysna Elephant Park and CROW Wildlife Rehabilitation.
Farmerline
The startup Farmerline is connecting farmers with products, services and resources to help them improve productivity and incomes, with 200,000 farmers already registered. The startup has won numerous awards and provides farmers with resources ranging from weather forecasts, market prices, a digital payment system, and information customized to the individual’s area.
PayPass
Originally launched as a means of announcing college events, PayPass has expanded and grown to encompass more than 60 varied events per year and 24,000 users. The platform enables users to create and announce an impressive range of special events and enables online ticket purchases. The platform is especially beneficial for organizations that have limited advertising budgets or outlets.
Tupuca
Food delivery services are gaining traction worldwide and Tupuca lays claim to being Angola’s first platform for food delivery via phone app. It was founded in 2015 and has signed more than 120 participating eateries ranging from fine dining to fast food. Tupuca won the Angolan branch of Seedstars World startups competition in 2017 and has expanded to include delivery from pharmacies and supermarkets.
hearX Group
Developed in 2013 by Prof. De Wet Swanepoel and Dr. Herman Myburgh, the startup began with a smartphone app called hearScreen to detect hearing loss. The startup has since expanded with cloud-based services that have helped over 70,000people. hearX is bringing smartphone health solutions to a variety of populations, especially those in rural areas without easy access to medical professionals.
The startup has clients around the world including the World Health Organization, Queensland Government, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The award-winning hearing and vision diagnostic apps are being used in over 25 countries.
Innovative Solutions
DotCom Magazine’s selection of the Top 5 African startups are enterprises that provide greater access to everything from improved food yields and special events to healthcare services. The startups are particularly important for the vast areas of the continent where access to services is often limited by distance.