One of the most interesting areas for start-ups in Africa are those tackling improving the retail value chain. It's the unsexy backroom stuff that will help transform the lives of both shopkeepers and the bottom 80% of the income pyramid. Over the last few months Russell Southwood has spoken to Grant Brooke, Twiga Foods; Greg Murray, Koko Networks; Daniel Yu, Sokowatch; and Arnaud Blanchet, Last Mile for BOP.
The arrival of malls and supermarkets in Sub-Saharan Africa has been the occasion for much media coverage and comment. But the majority of Africans still buy most of their daily shopping from small, tin shack shops by the roadside or in neighborhoods. There's lots of them with almost no differentiation in stock or prices.
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