The COVID-19 pandemic has a major impact on startup development and venture capital investments in Africa as well as globally. At the same time, the “new normal” of social or physical distancing is also a window of opportunity to leapfrog digital business models and solutions for various economic sectors, including the agriculture and food sector. Cookshop, a Liberian food delivery service located in Monrovia, is a startup that came in to strengthen the food value chain by connecting local food producers with end consumers through its B2C e-commerce platform. In the COVID-19 crisis, Cookshop has significantly increased the food delivery to private persons as well as public institutions and has so far tripled its revenues. Bringo Fresh from Uganda and eMsika from Zambia are another two African startups that run food and agricultural e-commerce platforms and have experienced an overwhelming demand for their digital services and infrastructure since the recent rise of the pandemic.
SOURCE: DISRUPT AFRICA