This archive report was first published on 8 July 2021.
Kenyan Youth Raise Ksh215 Million for Innovative Supply Chain Firm ¶
Published on July 8, 2021
Two Kenyan youth, Tesh Mbaabu and Mesongo Sibuti, have made a significant impact in the supply chain market by raising Ksh215 million to revamp the industry in Kenya and the African region.
The duo founded MarketForce in 2018 with the aim of consolidating smaller retail kiosks and their distribution channels. Prior to the formation of MarketForce, the micro-industry was characterized by fragmentation, with small-time suppliers and retailers struggling with promotion, storage, and transportation logistics.
Through its web of agents, MarketForce was able to forge a consortium of small local companies whose distribution of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) was integrated. This move made it cheaper and more financially flexible for small and micro-businesses to move goods.
MarketForce's latest masterpiece is RejaReja, an e-commerce platform for traders that was formed in December 2020. The platform offers next-day delivery for numerous SKUs from a handful of FMCG brands across Nairobi and beyond borders.
RejaReja operates with minimum assets, not owning capital holdings such as warehouses or delivery trucks. Most of the assets are owned and provided by the firm's partners, including manufacturers, distributors, and other third-party providers of transport.
With the newly acquired funds, MarketForce looks forward to expanding operations to Nigeria in the near future, informed by the current successes of RejaReja in East Africa.
