Boost

Area of Focus:

Raise Living Standards

Geography:

Kenya, Senegal

Digital innovations can support inclusion in sub-Saharan African markets and provide micro, small and medium enterprises with access to fundamental tools and insights. However, although the number of tech-enabled distributors serving informal retailers has grown, most replace rather than enable local distribution networks. Few focus on empowering informal retailers and social distribution networks. There is a need to provide digital solutions that are appropriate for informal distributors; including low-income earners, underemployed youth and social distribution networks.  

Boost is a B2B commerce platform powering growth for Africa’s convenience economy by providing radically easy technology for suppliers to better serve retailers. It also boosts distributors and small retailer customers with embedded working capital.  

TRANSFORM’s support for the project ‘Kua’, meaning ‘Grow’ in Swahili, will investigate how commerce platforms can enable a range of business models across three African countries to drive employment, improve income for retailers and create sustainable businesses for distributors. The insights and learnings will help inform the African retail sector. This will include manufacturers, distributors and other ecosystem actors that support income generation in retail and informal online commerce workers. Additionally, the results will be of interest to donors and investors seeking to drive market based solutions, and other technology upstarts seeking insights to inform their product and service design. 

Unilever will provide Kua with valuable insights as a FMCG supplier and share its depth of experience in route-to-market, trade marketing, behaviour change and promotions management.