Wasoko has recently announced the official launch of the “Wasoko Innovation Hub” in partnership with the Zanzibar government. Let’s get to see more details.
What is Wasoko?
The company is basically a startup that connects small shops to the e-commerce industry. The company intends to help entrepreneurs in emerging markets connect with the digital world, increase sales and gain market coverage. Since its inception in 2016, Wasoko has delivered 3 million orders to over 75,000 informal retailers across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal.
The Hub
The Wasoko Innovation Hub is the first and one-of-a-kind private-public partnership between an African tech startup and the Zanzibar government for “Silicon Zanzibar” – a new government initiative to attract and relocate tech companies from across Africa to the island. As part of the launch, Wasoko becomes Silicon Zanzibar’s first anchor company and official private sector ambassador. The new hub will be located in Fumba Town, Zanzibar, and will focus on building world-class tech solutions that will drive Africa’s e-commerce industry for years to come, becoming home to over 500 visionary engineers, product managers, UX designers, and researchers from all over Africa and across the globe In addition to strengthening Wasoko’s operational efficiency, the new Hub will specialize in developing tools to personalize customer experiences. The hub will also improve delivery metrics, expand financial services options as well as collect key data and insights from across the value chain. “Through our new partnership, we’re proud to be working alongside a government that is heavily invested in supporting this mission and are honored to be a founding partner for Silicon Zanzibar. We strongly believe Wasoko will be the first in a long line of tech companies to establish a presence on the island.” Related
Andela officially launches in Uganda to develop top software development talentFacebook’s Mark Zuckerberg visits tech hubs in NigeriaOutbox, Hive Colab, Mara: Ugandan Innovation Hubs, the beehives for entrepreneurs
The location will become the main hub for Silicon Zanzibar, which will streamline the issuance of work visas to skilled tech workers from across Africa and beyond to relocate to Zanzibar. Zanzibar is renowned as one of the world’s top tourism destinations, with direct flights to over 20 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In order to further attract tech companies, the government will also offer strong incentives under the country’s existing Free Economic Zone program including an exemption from corporate income tax for ten years.
Conclusion
The launch of the Wasoko Innovation Hub marks the latest milestone in its rapid growth journey, which saw the startup named Africa’s fastest growing company by the Financial Times in May 2022. Such tech and innovation hubs gave transformed entrepreneurs, businesses, etc and provided ground for more upcoming startups and the developer ecosystem in Africa.
