This archive report was first published on 2 January 2020.
Life in a Tech Startup: An Exclusive Interview with Glovo Kenya's General Manager ¶
Published on January 2, 2020
William Benthall, the General Manager of Glovo Kenya, has a wealth of experience in the business sector, having worked with business membership organizations and national and county governments in Kenya, Nigeria, and other African countries. In this exclusive interview, he shares his insights into the company's operations, the benefits of working with young talent, and the impact of internet and mobile technology in Kenya.
According to Benthall, working with young talent is a significant advantage for Glovo Kenya. 'I came from an industry where I was one of the youngest Directors, to a company where I’m among the oldest people worldwide,' he says. 'Working with brilliant young people is amazing fun and critical from a business perspective, especially in a country like Kenya where 60% of the population is under 25.'
The company has made huge efforts to localize its offering and ensure it works well in Nairobi. 'We've made huge efforts to localize our offering and ensure it works well in Nairobi,' Benthall explains. 'That said, the tech backbone and our data scientists work in Barcelona. There’s some really clever thinking and execution that goes into delivering food or other products in a matter of minutes.'
Mobile penetration is critical for Glovo Kenya, and the company has taken advantage of Kenya’s comparatively cheap cost of data. 'Mobile penetration is critical for us, and Kenya’s comparatively cheap cost of data also works in our favour,' Benthall notes. 'What’s also important is that many of the behaviours we want to foster through our app have already existed offline.'
When asked about the most popular demographic of the app users, Benthall replies, 'It’s anyone craving convenience. It tends to be people who are really busy or who just want to spend those special free moments of the day doing something that makes them happy.'
Regarding the government's plan to implement a tax on online apps and businesses, Benthall says, 'In my previous role I worked with county governments on improving tax collection frameworks. We’re following developments in the space but for now the government has an applicable tax framework in place and our focus is on making sure we are always compliant.'
Life at Glovo Kenya is all about the team, according to Benthall. 'It’s all about the team. We have 26 really smart and highly dedicated people working in our Westland offices,' he says. 'There’s a huge belief in what we are doing and you feel that energy every day as you walk through the door.'
When asked about the big vision for Glovo, Benthall replies, 'To provide a
