Jumia and Twiga foods, two African startups backed by Goldman Sachs — have partnered for produce delivery in Kenya.
Jumia will pickup Twiga Foods fresh produce and make contactless delivery in the region. Payments will be made using the JumiaPay app.
Jumia Kenya CEO Sam Chappatte said: “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 agritech startup raised $30 million in a Series B equity round in October.
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 fight 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.
