Safi Sana: a circular economy company turning liquid and organic waste into valuable products

Safi Sana is a great example of how circular economy business models can unlock the value of human waste. Emerging market companies with business models related to water & sanitation are invited to connect with Africa Funded to assess fit with the seed incubator program for water & sanitation in developing countries.

As 2.4 billion people worldwide lack adequate sanitation, there is a big need for business models that can deliver sanitation at scale. The circular economy concept clears the way for new business models providing access to sanitation in developing countries: unlocking the value of human waste as a resource to address unmet needs. One example is Safi Sana, launched by Aqua for All, providing new platforms for transforming liquid and organic waste into valuable products. Africa Funded will support this company with feedback on their business plan in the context of the Incubator for Water, Sanitation and Solid Waste in partnership with Aqua for All and WASTE.

Solid and liquid waste management is usually a large financial and human burden for (local) governments as well as for the local population in developing countries. In the Safi Sana model, the ‘burden’ of organic waste is transformed into the end-products biogas, organic fertilizer and irrigation water. For Safi Sana ‘high quality waste’ is a key resource and the sourcing activities are an important driver for safe and sustainable sanitation at household level.

The Safi Sana model

The Safi Sana system consists of a resourcing scheme, factory to turn waste into biogas and nutrient-rich waste water and compost, plus a business scheme to allow maximum benefit of these outputs: turning biogas into electricity, and a nursery that uses compost and waste water.

Safi Sana now sells turn-key factories for (peri)urban towns, with a locally embedded waste sourcing and sales organisation for 100% re-use and cost recovery. After turn-key completion, the factory is handed over to a local operator on the basis of a license. The license includes operational support and quality control. Revenue of the factory is made through sale of fertilizer and energy products. 

The model is based on a public/private partnership: the government is the Safi Sana client and makes a one-time investment for the turn-key factory. The private sector is license holder and responsible for operations, sales and recovery of OPEX (with profit).

Ghana and other countries

Safi Sana is building her first platform at scale in Ghana, where waste is a big problem, making the availability of faecal waste very large. Most of the faecal waste in Accra is dumped untreated into the sea, left to clutter sewers or attract rodents. Cost estimates of bad sanitation go as high as 30% of GDP per person above 5 years old and it is estimated to hamper economic growth by 6%. At the same time, Ghana is a net-importer of basic food such as vegetables and rice, as well as fertilizer, and only 8% of the farmers have access to soil nutrients.

As these challenges are not unique to Ghana, Safi Sana believes that once the model is proven in Ghana, there is a great opportunity for expanding in other areas in Ghana and in other countries. Once the model is proven to be financially viable, Safi Sana will focus on delivery and sales of turnkey platforms.

Company

Safi Sana was founded in 2010 as an initiative of Aqua for All, Rabobank, Shell and DHV, who saw potential in creating value out of feacal sludge in order to improve access to safe saniation in developing countries. Financial contributions so far have been made by Aqua for All Foundation, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy Ghana, International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), the African Development Bank and Dutch private investors.

Over the past years, Safi Sana Holding BV has invested €2.5M to test technologies, treatment processes and market conditions for sale of end products and to develop monitoring systems, and educational programs. 

Safi Sana has 3 FTEs In the Netherlands and 12 FTEs in Ghana. The Ghanaian company Safi Sana Ghana Limited was set up to be responsible for the implementation of the project in Ghana. This Ghanaian company is 100% owned by Safi Sana Holding BV, which is 100% owned by Safi Sana Foundation. 

Next steps

Africa Funded supports Safi Sana with feedback sessions to fine-tune their business plan for next steps towards follow-up funding. Safi Sana Holding has built expertise on how to transform organic waste into valuable end products while at the same time providing improved sanitation services. Safi Sana’s products and services are project management, support and monitoring, consultancy, research and innovation. The company has high growth ambitions. After knowledge development related to this solution they see unlimited growth opportunities.

Emerging market companies with business models related to water & sanitation are invited to connect with Africa Funded to assess fit with the seed incubator program for water & sanitation in developing countries. 

Africa Funded welcomes new team members

Africa Funded's activities have grown and the organization is currently expanding its team.

A recent top-level addition to the Africa Funded team is Christiaan Quellhorst, who has in depth and practical knowledge based on many years of corporate experience. Christiaan Quellhorst comes with over 25 years of experience in running international organizations, served at the director level at various multinationals and was the former Vice President of Canon Netherlands responsible for the service and operational part of the company. He strengthens the team in providing advice and act as sparring partner to entrepreneurs in the field of services, business strategy and operational excellence. He is chairman of the board for the Association of Services Management International Netherlands (AFSMI) and organizes service innovation conferences, research and workshops.  

Saskia Reus-Makkink, founder of Africa Funded, shares: “Christiaan provides valuable insights and experience to our entrepreneurs. We see service and pay-per-use models coming up providing access to assets that base of the pyramid consumers could not afford before. Christiaan is a great sparring partner. We see a combination of a commercial visionary plus operational and finance expert as very powerful to support companies from a start-up to scale stage. We are happy to have him as part of the team!”..

Another valuable addition to the Africa Funded team is Miguel Heilbron. With multiple years of experience in Africa’s startup investment spaces he is keen to highlight the progress made by innovative African startups. Miguel Heilbron has over 15 years of experience in sustainability, social innovation and international development issues in projects in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas, and his experience in incubation and acceleration of startups and social initiatives is very diverse. Saskia Reus-Makkink adds: “Miguel is a great addition for the team in engaging entrepreneurs and stakeholders in our work. He is passionate about improving the entrepreneur ecosystem in developing countries and has an eye for identifying the hidden value in a story of the entrepreneur”.

Business development expert Saskia Reus-Makkink founded Africa Funded to support innovative entrepreneurs to develop, validate and scale their business models. With 15 years of corporate strategy experience, she has been providing feedback on business plans to more than 250 innovative and disruptive entrepreneurs in Africa across all sectors.

Africa Funded is currently working with a large poule of experts to provide customized support to entrepreneurs, supporting them to fine-tune and validate their business models.  

New additions to the Africa Funded team will still be announced. See the team page on our website to get to know the whole Africa Funded team.

THE FINALISTS OF THE VIA WATER INNOVATION CHALLENGE

Africa Funded initiated and facilitated a program to support one of the funds of Aqua for All, to increase dealflow. The VIA Water Innovation Challenge is introduced as an intense six week accelerator program taking 8 innovative water startups from 4 countries in Africa to a pilot proposal stage.

The pioneers were identified after a rigorous multi-phase selection process which focused on the degree in which the project improves water related pressing needs in urban areas, the level of originality and the level of relevance. The 8 finalists demonstrated an innovative and disruptive approach in solving urban water issues in Africa cities. Since peer-to-peer learning is an important component of the programme we also looked into potential areas of knowledge sharing and knowledge creation within the group.

The program is initiated and facilitated by Africa Funded for VIA Water, an UNESCO-IHE hosted initiative and sub-fund of Aqua for All. VIA Water aims at improving urban water issues in Benin, Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan, Kenya, Mozambique and Mali.

We provide a comprehensive programme to support the pioneers in identifying the best approach to take their ideas forward. In September and October 2015 participants followed an intense program to develop a business model and theory of change for their idea, to figure out the needs of the market and its users, learn about organisational set up, finance and budgeting and risk identification and mitigation. The end result was a sound pilot proposal to be screened with the internal investment committee and shared with the VIA Water Advisory Committee. The proposals with the best fit for the VIA Water programme were offered the opportunity to pilot their innovation with support from experts, network and funding.

The selected pioneers are listed below:

Patrick Apoya and Elliot Abra– SkyFox - Ghana
Indicates there is a major opportunity to improve efficiency of urban water utilities through consumer self-billing and payment of water bills. This new service is in line with the core business of his company SkyFox and subsidiary Postal Technologies.

Dickson Ochieng Otieno – Sanivation – Kenya
Sanivation is currently delivering household sanitation services to urbanizing communities. They install container-based toilets inside people's homes for free, and charge a monthly subscription for waste collection, and then transform collected waste into charcoal briquettes. Sanivation plans to develop and pilot a service model to provide their services to landlords and labor camps. This could have tremendous scaling opportunities for increasing access to safe sanitation services in Africa.

Nafisatu Ahmed – Ghana
Would like to strengthen and activate civil society in reducing non-revenue water by developing an effective feedback and reporting system for improved urban water supply. Water rates in Ghana doubled and leakages are a major cost. Nafisatu developed a model she would like to fine tune that includes the public to report the leakages and support Ghana Water Company to solve the problem and reduce non-revenue water costs (needs to establish a startup, which is within scope of the fund).

Kevin Maina Mureithi - Trace Group - Kenya
Kevin is looking into matching the solid waste problem in Kenya with the high demand for construction materials and reducing water pollution issues. The new activities will be an expansion of activities within his waste collection company.

Isaac Monney – Ghana
Observed that the increasing number of over 100 car wash stations in Kumasi results in a threat to the water supply and surface water resources and he would like to take a business approach to solve pollution and sourcing issues by closing the loop. Isaac is a lecturer at the Department of Environmental Health and Sanitation Education at the University of Education, Winneba and has an entrepreneurial background. Challenge is to develop a model that is an attractive alternative for car washers illegal tapping water. This kind of experimental projects are in line with the scope of the fund.

Peter Chege Gichuku - Hydroponics Africa Ltd - Kenya
Pioneered simplified hydroponics technologies made of locally available materials and with his company Hydroponics Africa he installed 567 hydroponics units and trained over 5,000 people on hydroponics since year 2012. Peter is passionate about solving food and water issues by the opportunity to test the production of rice within these systems that will use80% less water and produces 3 times more crops per year. We currently look into making this technique accessible to the Base of the Pyramid, increasing yield and replacing growing crops in areas that are polluted with heavy metals.

Maurice Abayo (WASAC), Luc Einstein Ngend Ngend (University of Rwanda) & Philippe Kwitonda (RNRA), Indogobe Smart Water Ltd, Rwanda
These participants see a market potential in developing smart water storage & delivery services in urban Rwanda by means of intelligent water tanks, conveyers, an ordering app and education. Finalists of the VIA Water Rwanda Water & ICT Accelerator and therefore qualified for participation in the VIA Water Innovation Challenge.

Sebastiao Inacio Famba (Tree4Clean.life) – Mozambique
'Don’t waste the waste water!' It could be used to grow forest, bamboo and other plants. By doing that in an organized way, it can become profitable: economically (carbon credits, value of wood, fertilizer), socially (leisure park) and environmentally (green longs in the city). In a pilot Tree4Clean.life will develop the mechanisms using a participatory approach integrating all relevant stakeholders.

Three Africa Funded alumni entrepreneurs receive funding for their pilots

Entrepreneurs Sanivation, Hydroponics and Trace, all based in Kenya, recently received funding for their business pilots. The entrepreneurs participated in the recently finished VIA Water Innovation Challenge managed by Africa Funded. Africa Funded visited the entrepreneurs on site and continues to support them during the pilots to validate and fine-tune their business models.

SANIVATION

Sanivation creates renewable energy out of human and organic waste, sanitizing human waste. The company installs container-based toilets inside people's homes for free, and charge a monthly subscription for waste collection, transforming collected waste into charcoal briquettes. Sanivation recently secured funding for their pilot. Africa Funded supported Sanivation in developing a service model providing their services to landlords and rose farms, providing scaling opportunities for safe sanitation service access in Africa. Currently there is more demand by BBQ restaurants for their charcoal, as it burns longer and has less smoke than traditional charcoal. Africa Funded continues to support the company towards follow on funding.

Sanivation heats the feacal sludge, killing pathogens, in order to process it safely.

HYDROPONICS

Promoting low cost and sustainable farming without soil, Hydroponics increases access to safely grown food and increases production. Supporting people to build their own low cost, locally sourced hydroponic units, their business model focuses on fertilizer sales. Hydroponics installed 567 hydroponics units and trained over 5,000 people on hydroponics since 2012. Now designing vertical farming for slums to provide nutritious meals and income generation for the poor. Founder Peter Chege is a chemist. Africa Funded supports the team in marketing and strategy.

Hydroponics efficiently produces animal feeds. With a greenery of 8 by 4 meters, 10 cows are fed continuously.

TRACE

Providing waste collection services, Trace matches solid waste problem in Kenya with demand for construction materials and reduces water pollution issues. Trace recently secured funding. “Saskia is a spot on business adviser,” says Trace founder Kevin Mureithi. “She exceeded our expectations by not only offering critical business tips but also connecting us to a vast network of partners and successful entrepreneurs who we keep learning from.”

Trace recently purchased new land to construct their new recylcing plant.

10 highlights from the Sankalp Africa session on water & sanitation innovation

February 25-26, the Sankalp Africa Summit 2016 was held in Nairobi, Kenya – focused on opportunities for inclusive and high-impact enterprises. One of the key sector based sessions focused on Innovative Business Solutions for Water and Sanitation Services. Africa Funded founder and director Saskia Reus-Makkink was one of the speakers in this session and shares 10 insights below.

The session on Innovative Business Solutions for Water and Sanitation Services at Sankalp Africa was hosted by Dick Bouman, Fund Manager of VIA Water at Aqua for All. Africa Funded, incubator manager of Aqua for All, co-hosted the co-lab session. The other speakers were entrepreneur Andrew Foote of Sanivation and David Kuria of Africaqua. Over thirty people attended this session, including many investors. The session led to a lively discussion on improving operations, how corporates can contribute to local SMEs and other discussion points.

Below are some highlights of what was discussed in the session, followed by a case study of the VIA Water Challenge, one of the initiatives we presented.

1)    There are promising innovations in water and sanitation, both in service delivery and introduction of new elements, such as pre-paid metering. There are many opportunities also in smart water for agriculture. ICT oriented companies can support in lowering operational costs.  

2)    It is challenging to develop a business case, build and run a company focused on water and sanitation for the BOP. Fine-tuning the business model takes time, expertise and investment; profit margins are low; scale (and economies of scale) are hard to achieve and legal frameworks are sometimes a major obstacle.

3)    Startups need support in terms of funding, networks and mentoring. Providing the Base of the Pyramid with water and sanitation requires innovative business models, but entrepreneurs providing needed innovations often struggle to get their solutions to the market. 

4)    Clear legislation is needed, as water and sanitation services tend to overlap with the government’s mandate.

5)    Figuring out the right distribution and marketing model is key. Hygiene education and promotion of good quality water, often by going door to door or to schools, is an important element to it.

6)    There is a big potential for BOP businesses to bundle and benefit from sharing established channels and models. Some examples: Charcoal, mobile / financial services, water; all need similar distribution and finance channels. Equally there is the potential for bundling with startups needing similar apps or ICT.

7)    Innovation can play an important role in improving and managing distribution and operations. An example: Apps for tracking distribution and financial flows, keeping track record of every customer, collecting data.

8)    Multinational companies can be of good value to startups by adding capacity and expertise. However, experts need to have a thorough understanding of the BOP. One needs to evaluate the pros and cons of getting them on board.

9)    Corruption might be a challenge. Startups should define and follow their own policies on transparency, tax paying and non-bribing. It helps to involve government officials in your work, just as it helps to create demand for your services from end consumers.

10) Funds and incubator/accelerator programs provide needed support particularly for fine-tuning business models. Below is a case study of the VIA Water Challenge initiated and managed by Africa Funded, one of the initiatives we presented in the session, supporting pioneers in Africa to develop sound models.

The VIA Water Innovation Challenge 

The VIA Water Innovation Challenge is one of the initiatives we presented in the session. This intense six-week accelerator program took 8 innovative water startups from 4 countries in Africa to a pilot proposal stage. Incubator/seed fund manager Africa Funded and UNESCO-IHE initiative VIA Water initiated the program to support innovators to come up with a sound proposal to pilot their ideas. Entrepreneur Andrew Foote of Sanivation, one of the speakers in the session, participated in the VIA Water Challenge.  

The VIA Water Innovation Challenge program consisted of a six-week virtual track, in which the entrepreneurs participated in workshops and received individual coaching sessions. Africa Funded, together with partners Aqua for All and WASTE supported the pioneers in identifying the best approach to take their idea forward, and to produce sound proposals for the VIA Water Fund. All in all, the program was a great success. In addition to the results of the actual acceleration program, pipeline to the VIA Water Fund was improved from 75 applications in a year to 127 applications in just six weeks time. 

The participants were very positive about the program: 83% of respondents rated the VIA Water Challenge program as ‘outstanding’, and 17% as ‘good’. 80% of participants judged the program had fully addressed their personal key barriers to developing a business proposal. The other 20% said it had done so to an extent.

One of the participants remarked: “This program is exactly what young entrepreneurs in Africa need. We are in so many cases discouraged to start our own businesses. Having someone to listen to you and guide you to improve your business idea, no matter how weird it may seem at the beginning, is a great opportunity. Please don't give up on people's ideas so easily. Give people the chance to test, probably fail and improve their ideas. That's how all great inventors succeed”. Read more about the survey results here.

After Sankalp Africa 2016

The Sankalp Africa Summit 2016 again shows there are many promising innovations in water and sanitation in Africa, both in service delivery and introduction of new elements. It’s also clear that funds and incubators can provide much needed support, particularly for fine-tuning business models. 

The VIA Water Challenge program is one example of the programs managed by Africa Funded. In 2016 Africa Funded will organize more accelerators aiming at supporting innovative business models to improve water, sanitation and waste situations in developing countries. We will also continue to engage more investors in supporting early stage entrepreneurs in water and sanitation. Providing the Base of the Pyramid with water and sanitation requires innovative business models, and we have to collectively support entrepreneurs providing needed innovations to get their solutions to the market.

VIA Water Innovation Challenge a great success: “This is exactly what young entrepreneurs in Africa need”

Recently Africa Funded initiated the VIA Water Innovation Challenge, an intense six week accelerator taking 8 innovative water startups from 4 countries in Africa to a pilot proposal stage. Below are the results of a survey sent out to participants after the VIA Water Innovation Challenge, showing skill ratings doubled during the program and 83% of participants rated the program as ‘outstanding.

VIA Water is a program tracking down and supporting innovative solutions for water problems in African cities. The program originates from the “Dutch Knowledge Platform for Water” and is hosted by UNESCO-IHE. Africa Funded runs the incubator program and seed fund for Aqua for All, the fund manager.

The VIA Water Challenge program, set up by Africa Funded as a short track accelerator program within the scope of the Incubator for Water, Sanitation & Solid Waste, was a great success. In addition to the results of the actual acceleration program, the call improved pipeline to the VIA Water Fund from 75 in a year to 150 in just six weeks time.

Participants

The Challenge was open to entrepreneurs from Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda and South Sudan. The selected pioneers who joined the accelerator program included Patrick Apoya and Elliot Abra (SkyFox, Ghana), Dickson Ochieng Otieno (Sanivation, Kenya), Nafisatu Ahmed (Ghana), Kevin Maina Mureithi (Trace Group, Kenya), Isaac Monney (Ghana), Peter Chege Gichuku (Hydroponics Africa Ltd, Kenya), Maurice Abayo, Luc Einstein Ngend Ngend& Philippe Kwitonda (Indogobe Smart Water Ltd, Rwanda) and Sebastiao Inacio Famba (Tree4Clean.life, Mozambique).

83% rated the program as ‘outstanding

The participants were very positive about the contents of the program: 83% of respondents rated the program as ‘outstanding’, and 17% as ‘good’. On average, the participants rated the online weekly sessions in the program with 8.5 points, individual feedback and coaching sessions with 9.3 points, and access to experts with 8.5 points (on a scale to 10).

Especially the coaching and feedback were highly appreciated. One of the respondents noted: “I loved the fact that the program's experts were fully committed in offering support even on weekends. This is a sign of commitment and dedication. We also never missed any single weekly session despite the technical challenges. And the feedback from the experts was ever helpful!”

Skill ratings almost doubled from 4.2 to 8.2

In the survey the respondents were asked to rate their own skills (1 to 10) before and after the program in a number of areas. The feedback was quite impressive, with aggregated average skills rating improving 3.9 points as a result of the program - from 4.3 to 8.2!

                                                                                                                 Before                     After                         Increase

Develop a Business Model                                                                    3.8                             8.7                             (+4.9)             

Define how a pilot should look like                                                       4                                 8.7                             (+4.7)

Identifying relevant partnerships                                                          5                                 7.8                             (+2.8)

Risk Assessment and Mitigation                                                            4                                 8                                 (+4)

Impact & Outcome Assessment                                                            4.7                             8                                 (+3.3)

Defining project budget                                                                         4.5                             7.8                             (+3.3)

Writing a proposal (structure)                                                               4.2                             8.5                             (+4.3)

                                                                                                                 ----                             ----                             ----

                                                                                                                 4.3                             8.2                             (+3.9)

Two thirds already see improvements in their business

67% of respondents said the program had made a major contribution in preparing them to develop a business proposal. An even higher percentage (80%) judged that the program had fully addressed their personal key barriers to developing such a proposal. The other 20% said it had done so to an extent.

On average, respondents rated the perceived relevance of experts they had been introduced to in the program with 8.5 points on a scale from 1 to 10. On enhancing learnings and promoting peer interaction, 50% of respondents said the program had made a major contribution.

A large majority (67%) of respondents said they already saw improvements in their businesses as a result of the VIA Water Innovation Challenge program. One of the respondents said he was sending out invitations for partnership.

Finally, all of the respondents were extremely appreciative of the accelerator team: 100% of them judged they had made a great contribution and a big impact. Respondents stated: “The accelerator team was always available to answer my questions. Apart from providing me with feedback, they also provided me with inspiration and encouragement throughout entire period of the program”; “They covered all major areas that used to be obstacles to my company growth”.

Unanimous recommendations

The respondents were unanimous in that they would definitely recommend the online program to others. One of them remarked: “This is exactly what young entrepreneurs in Africa need. We are in so many cases discouraged to start our own businesses. Having someone to listen to you and guide you to improve your business idea, no matter how weird it may seem at the beginning, is a great opportunity. Please don't give up on people's ideas so easily. Give people the chance to test, probably fail and improve their ideas. That's how all great inventors succeed”.

6 of the 8 program participants filled out the survey. Of the responding entrepreneurs/businesses 50% were based and active in Kenya and 50% in Ghana; 67% of them labelled themselves as registered startup (<3 years), 33% as established firm (>3 years).

The VIA Water Challenge program is one example of the programs managed by Africa Funded. In 2016 Africa Funded will organize more accelerators aiming at supporting innovative business models to improve water, sanitation and waste situation in developing countries.

To learn more about our programs, please contact:

Saskia Reus-Makkink - Saskia@africafunded.nl

Africa Funded leads successful VIA Water Accelerator Program

Recently incubator manager Africa Funded, together with VIA Water, a program hosted by UNESCO-IHE and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, initiated the VIA Water Innovation Challenge, an intense six week accelerator taking 8 innovative startups from 4 countries in Africa to a pilot proposal stage. The program yielded a cohort of innovative entrepreneurs. Two startups from the program already secured funding. All entrepreneurs are ready for next steps.

The Challenge was open to entrepreneurs from Benin, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda and South Sudan. The selected pioneers who joined the accelerator program included Patrick Apoya and Elliot Abra (SkyFox, Ghana), Dickson Ochieng Otieno (Sanivation, Kenya), Nafisatu Ahmed (Ghana), Kevin Maina Mureithi (Trace Group, Kenya), Isaac Monney (Ghana), Peter Chege Gichuku (Hydroponics Africa Ltd, Kenya), Maurice Abayo, Luc Einstein Ngend Ngend& Philippe Kwitonda (Indogobe Smart Water Ltd, Rwanda) and Sebastiao Inacio Famba (Tree4Clean.life, Mozambique). Two startups, Sanivation and Trace Group, secured investments after the VIA Water Innovation Challenge. All entrepreneurs are ready for next steps.

Saskia Reus-Makkink, founder of Africa Funded comments: “This program aims at supporting pioneers in Africa to develop sound models. For entrepreneurs in Africa access to knowledge, expertise and funding is even more challenging than for entrepreneurs in developing countries. Additionally, funders struggle with sourcing and selecting most promising concepts due to cultural differences and lack of local network. This program addressed all these issues.”

Trace Group and Sanivation Funded
Trace Group provides waste collection services in Nakuru (Kenya) since 2012. They are looking into matching the solid waste problem in Kenya with the high demand for construction materials and reducing water pollution issues, during the 6 week VIA Water Innovation Challenge we supported them in developing a sound pilot plan to validate and finetune their business model to transform waste into construction materials. “Saskia is a spot on business adviser,” says Kevin Mureithi of Trace Group, Kenya. “We needed to develop our technical innovation into a viable business and she has exceeded our expectations by not only offering critical business tips but by also connecting us to a vast network of partners and successful entrepreneurs who we keep learning from. She takes her mentoring sessions seriously and will push founders to innovatively think of how best to launch their business.” The founder received support of Sophie van den Berg, senior advisor at WASTE who has in-depth knowledge and expertise about the recycling sector in developing countries. Kevin commented: “I worked with Sophie who was very instrumental in supporting my work and she went out of her way to give feedback to my proposal and seek external partners in the plastic recycling sector in Netherlands for support.”

Sanivation is currently delivering household sanitation services to urbanizing communities. They install container-based toilets inside people's homes for free, charge a monthly subscription for waste collection, and transform collected waste into charcoal briquettes. Sanivation was supported in developing a service model providing their services to landlords and rose farms. This could provide tremendous scaling opportunities for increasing access to safe sanitation services in Africa. Waste water experts Jan Spit and Henock Afsaw provided the entrepreneur with expertise related to waste water treatment.
 
“I loved the fact that the program's experts were fully committed in offering support, even on weekends” adds Dickson Ochieng of Sanivation. “We also never missed any single weekly session, and the feedback from the experts was ever helpful.” He adds the programme really helped him developing a business model and business proposal. “The content was well resourced and rich with knowledge with huge learning opportunities.”

The programme
The total programconsisted of a six-week virtual track, in which the entrepreneurs participated in workshops and received individual coaching sessions. Africa Funded, together with partners Aqua for All and WASTE supported the pioneers in identifying the best approach to take their idea forward, and to produce sound proposals for the VIA Water Fund.

All in all the VIA Water Challenge program was a great success. In addition to the results of the actual acceleration program, the call filled the pipeline of the VIA Water Fund with project ideas from 75 in a year to 150 in just six weeks time.

Next steps
The plans of other entrepreneurs are now being screened by funders. Also the entrepreneurs who did not secure funding yet were very enthusiastic about the VIA Water Online Innovation Challenge. Isaac Monney (Ghana) explains: “We are in so many cases discouraged to start our own businesses. Having someone to listen to you and guide you to improve your business idea no matter how weird it may seem at the beginning is a great opportunity”. He stresses we should not give up on people's ideas so easily: “Give people the chance to test, probably fail and improve their ideas. That's how all great inventors succeed. The program provided me with unparalleled and requisite support to fine tune my ideas, develop a business proposal and learn from other budding entrepreneurs. This is exactly what young entrepreneurs in Africa need.”
 

PIONEER INTERVIEW WITH SLEEPOUT.COM AFRICA

SleepOut.com is Africa’s largest social accommodation marketplace connecting travelers looking for cool and unique places to stay with hosts and their empty beds. 

In 2011 while still working at the UN in Nairobi, SleepOut founder Johann Jenson spent a lot of time visiting Lamu Island wherehe fell in love with the barefoot bohemian chic lifestyle and eccentric charm of the place. After visitingand haphazardly photographing many of these stunning villas, his girlfriend and he started a small business called Lamu.org to act as a tourism hub for the island. The foreign villa owners who were rarely on the island quickly took to this idea of sharing their dream holiday homes with visitors coming from all over the world as did many of the local Swahili owners who were keen to welcome guests into their own homes. Using the positive experience from working closely with local and foreign hosts in Lamu, Johann decided to launch SleepOut across Kenya in 2012 and has since expanded and evolved into a social accommodation marketplace now live in 25 countries and counting throughout Africa and 70+ countries around the world

 Our South Africa curator, Lauren Wallett chatted to him to get the inside scoop: Why is the time right for SleepOut.com to take off now in South Africa?

Travel in Africa remains overpriced and booking travel to Africa is often cumbersome and complicated by at times arcane visa procedures. Many African governments however are starting to adapt with more efficient processes and a greater openness to collaborating with marketplaces such as SleepOut to ease the burden on tourists and ultimately promote these truly world-class destinations.

 With the arrival of low cost airlines such as fastjet, Kulula and FlyAfrica and more reliable ground transport via services like Uber one side of the equation is being solved. By offering travelers a wide selection of accommodation choices at any price point in places like Nairobi, Zanzibar, Harare or Cape Town, SleepOut ultimately is making the region more accessible to both local and foreign travelers.

SleepOut.com seems to resonate well with international visitors coming to Africa looking for a verified selection of reputable hosts to stay with. That being said, we’re actually seeing greater uptake from domestic travelers for whom credit card use is not nearly as common as it is in more developed parts of the world. Our integration with mobile money payment systems and being the first in the world to offer payment on arrival for peer-to-peer accommodation makes for a much smoother booking experience.

With the success of our East Africa expansion last year we are now planning to launch in several new markets across the continent with guest and host support teams on the ground. The biggest challenge to overcome is… Trust. Getting people in Africa comfortable with sharing and paying for intangible products online is a significant challenge and it could take up to 5 years before this trend really starts to develop in a meaningful way. The middle-class in our target countries is growing quickly with now what are considered to be over 120 million stable middle class Africans. What gets us really excited— besides seeing all of the connections happening between SleepOut hosts and guests— is knowing that we’re contributing to a burgeoning culture of e-commerce in Africa. With e-commerce penetration rates at only 2% we’re only scratching the surface of what is possible for Africa’s sharing economy.

What’s an example of Collaborative Consumption that you admire? I really like what the team at OurHood here in Cape Town is doing. (See Lauren’s interview with Bruce Good of OurHood here) By creating private social networks for neighbourhoods they aim to promote safer and more connected communities. Users of the app can share information, report criminal activity and get access to local deals. The user experience is good, the functionality is straightforward and it offers a truly useful set of tools to bring communities closer together.

 I’m also a huge fan of Uber and car sharing services like WapiGo in Kenya. Uber’s recent launch across Africa has definitely helped ease the anxiety travelers feel when moving around Africa’s biggest cities.

What has SleepOut achieved this year?
Since our launch in November 2013, SleepOut now offers 9,000 accommodation options in 70+ countries. We’re particularly proud that increasingly a greater share of users living on the continent are using our service whether it be expats, locals or travelers from neighbouring countries.

Because we work in quite a number of low-income countries, ensuring SleepOut guests feel completely safe is of course a huge priority. Since we launched our global marketplace last year, we have been pleasantly surprised that the issue of insecurity has not really been an issue. There are a few reasons for this. In most African countries, holiday homes (like hotels) have dedicated staff so we actually have not had any serious incidents. If a conflict arises, it is quickly dealt with by the staff on location. To prevent fraud, we also offer SleepOut guests the option of securely prepaying their stay with us. Upon check-in, if everything is in order, we then settle the funds with the SleepOut host. Additionally and more relevant to the emerging market context many of our hosts do accept full payment on arrival without requiring a credit card to guarantee the booking. This certainly minimizes risk but it also allows the 95% of Africans without credit cards to access SleepOut accommodation.

What separates SleepOut from AirBnB?

SleepOut is a made in Africa solution for travelers seeking a safe, comfortable and unique place to stay on the continent. Having spent the past 2 years working in East Africa our product is very much tailored for use by the 95% of Africans without credit cards or by the international visitor looking for a more unique, better value and potentially local experience. Besides working with informal accommodation hosts, SleepOut also includes the option to book commercial guest houses, hotels, resorts and safari lodges.

Additionally, in every destination we have local partners who are able to provide support for both guests and hosts, which improves the quality of our accommodation offering and the accuracy of the information on SleepOut. Having this local support also provides our guests with additional peace of mind when booking with SleepOut. There are also no booking fees charged to our guests, you can share contact details between hosts and guests on our message board, you can watch video profiles of hosts and guests and all sorts of discounts including resident pricing can be applied.

Tell me something that I couldn’t find on the internet about you?

My Canadian family has for generations worked in hospitality so I grew up in hotels. My father was a stockbroker turned hotelier with a particular interest in alternative approaches to Western culture, with a penchant for meditation, mysticism and environmentalism. So I grew up vegetarian with 4 brothers in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. I recall spending a lot of time learning about the hospitality industry and surrounded by new age meditation experts!

Article originally published at http://www.collaborativeconsumption.com/2015/04/22/pioneer-interview-with-johann-jenson-of-sleepout-com-africa/

Farmerline: Connecting Farmers and Markets in Ghana

Farmerline: using mobile phones to help farmers in Ghana (orignially published at the Guardian December 17, 2014). Many small-scale farmers in Ghana lack information about farming techniques and market prices. One company is helping to change that.

Agriculture is one of Ghana’s key sectors, contributing 22% to the country’s gross domestic product and employing 42% of its workers. With an average farm size of about 1.2 hectares, most farmers in Ghana are small-scale.

Many of these small-scale farmers struggle with low yield and high post-harvest losses, partly due to their lack of access to agriculture information. Ghana only has one extension agent for every 2,000 farmers, and poor road and communications infrastructure make access to market information particularly difficult for farmers.

Farmerline’s solution
Farmerline Ltd tackles this challenge by bridging this information gap through the use of mobile technology. The company provides three service lines. Outbound messaging provides personalized voice alerts that communicate critical information related to price, weather and farming techniques. Mobile surveys allow farmer-based organizations to conduct surveys to capture the impact of their interventions. The company’s support line gives farmers direct access to expert advice.

All of the company’s services are offered via SMS, and Android as well as voice-based messaging service to help reach farmers with low literacy levels. Furthermore, all content is provided in local languages.

Farmerline’s impact
By offering these mobile-based services, Farmerline provides critical market information to Ghana’s small-scale farmers, which helps them increase their yields by adopting improved farming practices. The company’s customers, many of whom are women, ultimately benefit from increased income. Through its commitment to BCtA, Farmerline envisions a reach of 500,000 farmers in West Africa by 2019.

 Tomohiro Nagasaki is the impact measurement consultant at Business Call to Action.

BelCash Mobile Banking Ethiopia

Belcash is an international company based in the Netherlands. Its core business is the designing of automated solutions for mainly financial services by using the combination of infrastructures such as World Wide Web and Mobile Telephone.

Belcash Technology Solutions PLC (BCTS) is an Ethiopian based company owned by Belcash international. BCTS has obtained the necessary VAS licenses from Ministry of ICT and signed an agreement with Ethio-telecom to provide a new approach to the Ethiopian marketfor interaction between end users and their mobile or online devices with main focus on the banking and payment services, health and education.

HelloCash is the number #1 mobile and agent banking (mobile money) service in Ethiopia provided by banks and micro finances.

HelloCash allows you to do financial transactions from the convenience of your mobile phone. It is convenient, efficient, fast, secure, and operates 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.

The service is currently provided by three major financial institutions; Lion International Bank S.C. Cooperative Bank Oromia S.C. and Somali Micro Finance Institution S.C.

HelloCash is the,fastest and most reliable way of sending money to family and friends instantly. And it can be done any time day or night from the convenience of your mobile phone

Health Market Innovation Penda Health

Penda Health's clinics are open 12 hours a day on a walk-in basis. The medical centres are fully stocked with supplies, medicines, tests, and essential equipment. Medical centres are outpatient, and staffed by nurses (or clinical officers) and receptionists, with medical officer oversight. Medical centres provide consultations, diagnostic tests and medicines. Approximately 60% of Penda's patients are women, 20% are children and 20% are men.

Penda currently accepts payments made through MPESA. They also accept insurance from select private providers (a micro-insurance scheme and a larger corporate scheme) and are looking to get onto the national health insurance scheme. As of May 2013, patients can join Penda's membership scheme called "Penda Family Cover" and pay 3,000 ksh (US$35) and get all of Penda's services for an entire year (equal to about US$3 per month). Penda is a franchised member of the Tunza Family Health Network.

Penda Health uses a customized system, accessible from a PC, to track stock and expiry dates. When supplies run low, a warning is triggered to make sure more are ordered. Staff also text patients to make sure they're taking their drugs at the right times and in the right way, or to tell groups of patients that a specialist is visiting.

Penda is also working on developing their own electronic medical records system that ultimately will allow them to share records, if need be, with specialists both within Kenya and internationally.

As of March 2013, Penda has held 3 mobile clinics to reach patients farther away from their clinic. By keeping them simple (bringing their regular medical equipment and using tents and chairs) and placing them near markets, Penda has managed to break-even financially on these mobile clinics. These clinics are generally staffed by one or two clinicians and several support staff; Penda may also hire a day nurse or clinical offer. If patients require labs or additional treatment, they are asked to come to Penda's static clinic - Penda has found that patients are willing to make the longer trek to their clinic if a doctor tells them that they need to.

Once or twice a month, Penda holds a screening day at their medical centres during which they will provide free or discounted consultations for a specific ailment (e.g. diabetes). Staff also hold information sessions at churches, community meetings, women's groups, and other avenues that help them engage potential clients. To attract additional patients and increase excitement, Penda will also provide face-painting, shoe-shining, massages, nail-painting, etc.

Penda Health has 2 operational health centres and 1 clinic (as of September 2014) and eventually aims to open 1 centre per month. As of November 2013, Penda secured a partnership with a local university to build a dedicated mini-clinic on their campus and provide healthcare to all 600 students and teachers.

Article originally published http://healthmarketinnovations.org/program/penda-health

Karibu Solar Power: New Solar Lamp Offers Villagers Alternative to Toxic Kerosene

On a continent where more than half the population lives off-the-grid, many African villagers can neither afford nor acquire simple solar lamps. Instead, they have to rely on dangerous kerosene products to light their homes. Five young men behind a new social enterprise hopetheir modular solar lamp can offer this remote clientele an affordable and healthy alternative. When I talk to people about solar, when I show people solar lamps, they get so excited that it's unreal," says 25-year-old Adam Camenzuli, an Ontarian and one of five behind KARIBU Solar Power. "I can really see the amount of impact that we can have by giving people the choice ... the opportunity to choose between kerosene and solar, because right now that choice doesn't exist in an affordable way." Is solar energy commercially viable in Canada? Cheap, spray-on solar cells developed by Canadian researchers About 590 million Africans live without an electrical connection, according to the International Energy Agency's most recent numbers. The problem with kerosene The majority of these people rely on kerosene lamps to light their homes or businesses.

A crowd gathers on the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, to watch Sameer Gulamani demonstrate how a solar-powered lamp works. (Karibu Solar Power) Most Tanzanians, Kenyans and Ghanians own kerosene lamps, according to a 2011 study on off-grid lighting in sub-Saharan Africa by Lighting Africa, a program run by the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation to improve access to energy.

A Tanzanian villager will walk to a store and buy a small amount of kerosene to run their lamp that day, explains Sameer Gulamani, another Ontarian and a director of KARIBU. The next day, when their kerosene supply runs out, they will return and buy more. It's a simple model, but with major problems for consumers. Kerosene lamps hardly provide enough light to fill a space, and often this means that some activities, like children doing their homework, are limited after darkness sets in.

Health and safety are two additional major concerns. The use of kerosene, according to lighting Africa, can result in: Burns. Child poisoning, if accidentally consumed. Poor visual health, because lamps provide low lighting. Indoor air pollution. "It's bad quality of life. They can't charge their phone with it. It hurts their eyes. It causes fires, smoke inhalation — all these negative effects, including the environmental factors," says Camenzuli.

'Can't afford' $20 solar lamps
Recently, an upsurge in businesses peddling solar lamps in Africa has provided an alternative for buyers. But, it's an alternative many can't afford. "People just can't afford a $20 solar lamp," explains Camenzuli, who now lives in Tanzania and has tested the affordability of solar lamps for villagers there.

Off-grid living around the world
Around the world, 1.6 billion people live without access to electricity. Of these: 1.265 million live in developing countries. More than 95 per cent live in developing countries in Asia or sub-Saharan Africa. More than eight out of 10 live in rural areas.

He recalls walking to dinner one night and stopping at a stand where women were selling peanuts, gum, cigarettes and other knicknacks. The solar lantern he carried intrigued them, so he offered to sell it — first for $20, then $15 and finally $10. "There was no way they were going to spend the money for it," he remembers. Camenzuli's experience is supported by Lighting Africa's research, which found that most consumers are concerned with affordability. Their low incomes usually make it impossible to pay a high price up front.

Their study found that about 40 per cent of African households contain four or five people, which generally include between one and three children. From the five countries studied — Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia — each household's average monthly income ranges from $90 US to $154 US.

"So people that really need these products aren't the ones using them," says Camenzuli. "That's a problem."

A modular lamp
But the recent university graduates behind KARIBU think they have found the solution to these problems with their company's new modular solar lamp. The lamp breaks down into three components:

Solar panel. Rechargeable battery and mobile phone charger.

Light. To make the lamp affordable, KARIBU plans to use a "franchised business model of rent-to-own solar solutions," says Gulamani, mimicking how villagers currently purchase kerosene but eliminating the need for the toxic substance.

Karibu Solar Power

The Karibu modular solar power lamp is divided into three components, allowing buyers to eventually purchase the lamp's solar panel in a rent-to-own scheme. (Karibu Solar/Youtube)

"If you could spend that dollar instead on a nice, clean LED light, you'd readily do that," Gulamani explains.

Small shop owners will purchase whole lamps. They will rent out the rechargeable batteries and lights to local villagers for a daily fee.

"They take it home. Their kids study at night. They can charge their mobile phone. They have a light in their house. It's great," Camenzuli says, adding the solar lamp is about five times brighter and lasts slightly longer than the kerosene alternative.

Renters will return to the shopkeepers once their battery is out of power to recharge using the store's solar panel.

Every time a villager purchases a recharged battery, they will be making an investment towards the solar panel. Once they have paid enough into the system, the shopkeeper will give them the panel, and the household will become "solar independent."

'My way of giving back'

It is a working business model because the men don't expect to profit from this business venture. As a social enterprise, any profits would be funnelled back into the business to purchase more stock, pay staff a living wage, and expand their market.

The five have already contributed a lot of their own money to the project, says Camenzuli. He quit a high-paying commercial banking job in Toronto to move to Tanzania and commit to KARIBU full-time.

"We want to see that the solution reaches millions of people in Africa," says Gulamani.

Gulamani, now a first-year law student at York University, has family roots in Tanzania, a country his parents left behind to come to Canada.

"They didn't have all of the privileges that I've been able, fortunate enough to have in my life," he recalls. "This project in particular [is] my way of giving back."

Crowdsourcing funding for pilot

KARIBU has already received a lot of recognition for its innovative prototype and socially responsible thinking. The United Nations Environment Programme recently lauded KARIBU with a 2013 SEED award, which celebrates "social and environmental start-up enterprises [tackling] key sustainable development challenges."

'There's great ambition to expand this way beyond the borders of Tanzania'

- Sameer Gulamani, KARIBU Solar Power director

With its prototype designed and business plan ready, KARIBU has managed to secure some funding from investors. A so-called angel investor that has been supportive of the team from the start gave KARIBU $25,000.

Next month, Camenzuli and Gulamani will launch an online funding campaign, hoping to raise an additional $50,000. The company will use the money to run a pilot project of the rent-to-own system in northern Tanzania.

If it is successful and they generate more investor interest, they hope to expand beyond Tanzania's north.

"Geographically, you have to start somewhere, and that place happens to be Tanzania for us," says Gulamani. "[But] there's great ambition to expand this way beyond the borders of Tanzania."

Article orignally published at http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/new-solar-lamp-offers-villagers-alternative-to-toxic-kerosene-1.2450157

Duma Works carves out niche staffing Kenyan SMEs

After a couple of false starts, Kenyan startup Duma Works has found itself a productive niche, connecting SMEs with jobseekers in a way that differs from traditional jobs boards.

Duma Works was founded by American entrepreneurs Arielle Sandor and Christine Blauvelt after their graduation from Princeton University. Having previously visited Kenya for a research project, they had noticed the large gap between employers and jobseekers.

The startup was born as an SMS-based social network for recommendations, which Sandor and Blauvelt struggled to monetise. It prompted a move to Nairobi and a rethink, with Duma Works starting to focus on the company side. SMEs provided the niche the co-founders were looking for.

“SMEs don’t have a place to go to recruit effectively, if they don’t want to pay a huge fee to headhunters,” Sandor told Disrupt Africa.

“We found it was more the screening of viable candidates at a low-cost.”

The startup allows jobseekers to create a profile describing their skills and location via SMS, WhatsApp and web. Depending on their package, employers are linked to the most appropriate candidates and avoid having to deal with a huge number of unsuitable applications.

Duma Works in its current guise was launched last year, funded by a seed round with angel investors and the Rockefeller Foundation. Almost a year on, it has already signed up 250 paid employers, and adds between 30 and 50 listings per month.

“People love it. We’ve gone from 13,000 jobseekers to 23,000 since November,” Sandor said. “For jobseekers, getting alerts on jobs on their phones is a huge thing.”

The way Duma Works differentiates itself from traditional jobs boards in terms of cost and the way it matches candidates to jobs has no doubt assisted in this growth, with the startup adding clients not just in Nairobi but in the likes of Nakuru, Eldoret and Mombasa as well.

“We don’t advertise the jobs publically. We have a matchmaking algorithm and the skills will come to the top,” Sandor said.

“The big value is the screening that we provide, and there are a couple of tiers for that.”

The basic plan on Duma Works costs KES7,500 (US$80) per job, allowing an employer to see between 10 and 20 relevant candidates and evaluate them from start to finish. The express plan, at the cost of KES20,000 (US$210) per job, presents the employer with only the final round candidates who have already had their skills tested, while the elite plan at KES50,000 (US$520) per job offers a customised, intensive recruiting solution to find candidates for a more complex role. Duma Works carries out all the testing itself.

The startup is close to breaking even right now, but looking for more funds to expand.

“We do have a bit of a strategy, we’re not looking at VC right now. We’re a bit early stage for VC, so we’ve looked at angels and growth funds. Typically we work with people who are going to be strategic investors and have contacts in regions that we want to expand into in future,” Sandor said.

Though international expansion is on the agenda – Sandor says Uganda and Rwanda are likely destinations – Duma Works is focused on Kenya for now.

“Kenya’s the biggest market in East Africa and we want to become number one here before anything,” she said. “We’re trying to get in more with the hospitality and construction sector.”

The money, when it comes, is likely to come from abroad, as Sandor says local investors prefer to invest in infrastructure and have yet to be attracted to the tech space given there have been no significant exits yet. “The people that are getting in are probably going to exit massively because it is the beginning of the market,” she said. “It is in its immature stage.”

She said most of the company’s competition is in the traditional recruiting space, but in terms of recruiting for entry level and middle management positions, Duma Works is in a space of its own. “Brighter Monday is the biggest player, but it is actually helpful for us because it helps educate people that they can put a job online,” Sandor said. As an expat running a business in Kenya, she said she had experienced some challenges. “A big challenge that expats face is being trusted in a sense that you’re going to stick around and not desert the company and go and do an MBA. Part of it is keeping your promises.”

Originally published on http://disrupt-africa.com/2015/05/duma-works-carves-out-niche-staffing-kenyan-smes/

Your E-Rickshaw Has Arrived

In mass transit, the so-called “last mile” – the short distance commuters must navigate from a rail station or bus depot to reach their final destination – is more vexing than a London or New York traffic jam. But micro-transport entrepreneur Neil du Preez has a potential solution.

Despite being plagued by inefficiencies as measured by greenhouse-gas emissions, gridlock, wasted productivity and poor fuel economy, taxis are, for most urban centres, the most common remedy for that problematic last mile. That is where du Preez’s eco-friendly, rickshaw-like Mellowcab steps in with a re-imagined taxi of the future: a lightweight (230kg/507lbs) three-wheeler powered by pedals and an electric-assist motor – with plenty of visible exterior surface to serve as a rolling billboard, too.

“More than 80% of all urban trips across the globe are shorter than three miles, which is an extremely inefficient use of internal-combustion engines,” says du Preez, a former agricultural-fertiliser chemist who founded Mellowcabs with colleague Kobus Breytenbach in Franschhoek, South Africa. “But short distances are ideal for electric micro-vehicles such as Mellowcabs. Our cab's performance is on par with normal taxis, and it complies with international roadworthy standards, meaning we can operate legally and safely on just about any road.”

Some inroads are being made in last-mile solutions (and yes, there is a first mile to solve, too, at the front end of mass-transit systems). Options range from public bike-sharing programmes to so-called personal rapid transit systems, such as the one in Masdar City, a “clean-tech cluster” within Adu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. But Mellowcab wants a seat at the table, too.

The sunny name and friendly, smiley face-yellow colour belie the vehicle’s evolved components. Its protective shell is made from recycled-plastic compound. Brushless, internally geared (12:1 step-down gear ratio) electric wheel-hub motors (5kw of power each) provide propulsion; just start pedaling, and the motors engage, not unlike some electric-assisted cargo bikes. Rechargeable lead-crystal batteries, with a maximum range of 110km (roughly 68 miles), provide the power.

Safety measures include an ultra-rigid roll cage, seat belts and proximity sensors. The Mellowcab’s top speed is 70mph, but the vehicle can be programmed to stay within a set speed limit, du Preez says.

Mellowcabs differs from most transport genre-benders because the company not only designs and manufactures the vehicle in South Africa, it provides the drivers, too. To ensure passenger safety, driving staff must complete an in-house training program and possess a valid South Africa motorcycle license and a professional-driving permit. Drivers are also monitored via real-time GPS tracking, and must submit to random alcohol and drug tests.

The Mellowcabs concept differentiates itself from regular taxis in other ways, too. As anyone who hails cars frequently in large cities around the globe knows all too well, a good experience can be as elusive as the yeti. Patrons wait interminably for a ride, then endure malodorous interiors, rude drivers, the clumsy fumbling around for cash, drivers who never have the right amount of change and so forth. Mellowcabs, on the other hand, aims to create a fast, light and pleasant passenger experience even before the ride begins.

A smartphone app allows people to see where the nearest Mellowcab is, and arrange a meeting – sort of like a dating site for urban commuters. The passenger can even view the Mellowcab’s progress as it travels, as well as read on-line driver ratings.

Patrons pay a flat fee for transport within about a 4km radius around an urban centre, eliminating disputes over confusing rate structures and “broken” fare meters. After passengers reach their destination, the app also enables credit-card transactions: no cash, no change and no hassle.

After prototype testing in Franschhoek, located about 75km east of Cape Town in South Africa’s Western Cape province, Mellowcabs is preparing an official country-wide launch of more than 60 vehicles in the next several months.

Befitting the company’s unorthodox approach to service, there are no plans to sell the Mellowcabs to companies outside South Africa in the traditional sense. Instead, du Preez wants to partner with transport operators in other countries. "We won't sell the vehicles outright without retaining some share in them," he says. "We see massive potential in the business and want to create long-term partnerships."

This article was published at

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20141020-your-e-rickshaw-has-arrived

Making Toilets, Building Communities: Social enterprises are helping solve the sanitation challenges in Kenya's informal settlements

By Esther Kahinga, originally published on nextbillion.net

A Sanivation toilet service representative. Photos courtesy of the Kenya Climate Innovation Center

Wading through the narrow pathways in Kibera, Nairobi, can be a nauseating and scary experience. You constantly jump over small streams of dirty, blackish water that never seem to dry up. Alongside these streams, small children play in their bare feet. Some fall into the dirty water and are quickly picked up by the rest and they continue playing. The children are happy, not knowing the danger that lurks in their environment.

Sanitation – defined as the adequate management and disposal of different types of wastes with a view to minimizing harmful effects to human health and the environment – is close to nonexistent in many informal settlements in Kenya. With few or no toilets, open defecation, “flying toilets” (defecating into plastic bags that are then tossed onto the narrow pathways and trenches), no sewerage system and broken water pipes, diarrhea is common.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diarrhea kills 2,195 children every day – more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Diarrheal diseases account for one in nine child deaths worldwide, making diarrhea the second-leading cause of death among children under age 5. Diarrhea causes death by depleting body fluids, resulting in profound dehydration, and UNICEF estimates that about 88 percent of diarrhea-associated deaths are attributable to unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and insufficient hygiene.

Many donor-driven initiatives have been deployed in informal settlements to address the problems of poor sanitation but these often slow down when funds run out. Thankfully, Kenya has a growing number of social entrepreneurs who are addressing the problems of poor sanitation in an innovative way.

Sanivation is one such social enterprise based in Karagita, Naivasha County. It is turning human waste into briquettes. It was co-founded by Andrew Foote and Emily Woods, who were doing research in Naivasha when they saw the poor state of sanitation in the informal settlements in the area. In 2011, they started Sanivation to improve the overall dignity, health and environment of urbanizing communities in East Africa through delivering clean, safe and efficient sanitation services.

(Sanivation, a social enterprise launched in Kenya, turns human waste into briquettes.) 

Foote says, “Sanitation is an issue that has been neglected for too long. More people in the world have access to a cell phone than a simple toilet, which is surprising because the toilet is one of the best public health inventions ever developed.”

Sanivation households have a toilet installed in their homes, pay a monthly fee of (U.S.) $6 and the waste is collected bi-weekly. So far the renewal rate for the monthly subscription is 98 percent, with more than 300 users. Last month, the company launched a new waste transformation facility that will help increase production of the briquettes.

Naomi Chege, who has been using a Sanivation toilet since January this year, says, “Children can even use the toilet without me there.”

Sanivation has been working with public health officials and medical personnel to address waste management and sanitation challenges. Dr. Oren Ombiru, medical officer of health for Naivasha, said, “In Kenya, the leading cause of death for children under 5 is diarrhea. Safe waste disposal is one of the best ways to prevent diarrhea. Where we have the biggest challenges in sanitation is peri-urban areas. I’m proud that we have a partner that is looking at peri-urban and low-income areas.”

In June, Naivasha was one of the areas affected by a cholera outbreak in which 34 cases were reported, 24 of them in Kihoto estate, an informal settlement that relies on shallow water wells. Tests run on water from these wells showed contamination with human waste.

Sanivation plans to spread its wings to more informal settlements and refugee camps in East Africa to reach more than 1 million people by 2020.

Sanergy, another social enterprise based in Kibera, also helps build healthy and prosperous communities by making hygienic sanitation affordable and accessible throughout Africa's informal settlements.

(Almost 400 informal settlement residents in Kenya have started a Fresh Life business, left.)

Sanergy manufactures low-cost, high-quality toilet facilities and uses a franchise model to deliver an integrated sanitation solution. Local residents known as Fresh Life Operators buy and charge for usage of the toilets. The operators become franchise partners and are provided with training plus financial, marketing and operational support, including daily waste collection services. The collected waste is transported in a safe way to a central point where it is converted to organic fertilizer and biogas. The fertilizer is sold to local farmers.

The toilet facility sells for (U.S.) $500 and so far 748 of them are in use, serving more than 33,000 users. Alexander Waweru is one of the 370 informal settlement residents who have started a Fresh Life business; he has three Fresh Life facilities and this year celebrated his first anniversary as a Fresh Life Operator. “Running this business has been very fruitful,” he said, adding that he has been able to clean up his neighborhood – and especially his backyard. He has a medical condition that requires regular check-ups, and he says the extra income from his toilets helps him pay for his check-ups. He also employs his daughter Wangari as an attendant at the toilet facilities, and Wangari uses her share of the money to provide for the basic needs of her two children.

Sanivation and Sanergy are social enterprises that are bringing health, safety and hygiene where none existed. They are giving people in informal settlements an opportunity to experience dignified life in a sustainable way. With more sanitation facilities in the informal settlements, fewer children will die of diarrhea. And because the solution is based on an idea that has health and monetary benefits for the users, it is sustainable and will last much longer than initiatives by non-governmental organizations whose activities are affected by funding.

Indeed, the world is now a better place due to the social enterprises that are being born each day. There’s no doubt that social enterprises are what developing countries need to grow and also solve many of the basic problems related to health, education and unemployment that their citizens face.

UNESCO-IHE VIA Water Program chooses Africa Funded for Trainin

Read there announcement here: This summer, VIA Water will start a brand new approach, geared towards finding ánd developing the best possible solutions for water problems in African cities. This approach, entitled the VIA Water Innovation Challenge, is a virtual acceleration programme in which participants will follow a six weeks course packed with coaching, workshops and individual guidance to bring their ideas to the next level. Participants will learn about VIA Water, the market, business proposal writing, finances, risks and challenges, and they will receive technical feedback on their idea.

The VIA Water Innovation Challenge will be organised in cooperation with Africa Funded, which develops coaching programs to support entrepreneurs in Africa in their growth.  The mission of Africa Funded is to create jobs in Africa and enable people to increase their standards of living. The organisation has extensive experience with developing accelerator programmes such as this.

Africa Funded founder Ms. Saskia Reus-Makkink: 'The Virtual acceleration programs are a proven concept to support innovators to develop solid and fundable (business) plans. Via a virtual acceleration program high potential innovators are provided with in-depth expert advice and increase the opportunity to further develop their innovation with sound project plans and increased access to finance'.

She explains what the added value for participants is: 'This program enables participants to get insight into how to develop a solid project proposal for their innovation and benefit from advice from professional business coaches, experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts. An important element of the program is peer-to-peer support: working and sharing experiences with other people going through the same challenges makes a big difference'.

For VIA Water, there are also several clear benefits. The accelerator provides the opportunity to learn more about the applicant of the VIA Water Fund, as we work closely together. Through this approach, we will be able to receive more thorough proposals. Also, by experiencing the process a participant goes through close by, we will be able to learn about and evaluate our programme as well - which means that if necessary, we will be able to adjust the procedures accordingly. Originally published here; http://viawater.nl/en/the-library/articles-and-reports/via-water-innovation-challenge

What are the opportunities in building an inclusive plastic recycling business?

Plastic waste counts for up to 10% of household garbage in cities in developing countries. Not to mention the plastic litter, which is not only unsightly, but contributes to malaria and water borne diseases by blocking drains. This is a ticking time bomb. But, by understanding the recycling value chain, you’ll realise that opportunities abound to build a profitable business that makes the world a better place. Inclusive profitable business meaning including the poor in the business process be it as producers or consumers.
 
As part of the incubator program we manage for Aqua for All and WASTE, every month we have Free Feedback Friday sessions where we provide feedback to entrepreneurs about their business plans. Sophie van den Berg, senior recycling advisor at Waste, joined us for a very popular Free Feedback Friday session on 27 March. Here we speak to her about the plastic recycling world, and give you a heads up about the next session.
 
AF: Why is plastic recycling attractive as business?
Sophie van den Berg: The value chain of plastic recycling consists of activities such as collecting, sorting, washing, compacting, transporting, grinding and recycling. Business opportunities exist in almost all of these activities.
 
For instance, developing countries where no local petrochemical companies exist spend a huge amount on foreign exchange each year on importing virgin plastic raw material. As an alternative, locally recycled plastic is cheaper and very attractive. However, the key issue here is the quality of the recycled material. So starting a business producing high quality recycled material has enormous opportunities in many countries, and for sure is a viable business. There is value in the plastic waste material, enough value to make your business a profitable one!
 
AF: What are the challenges in getting started in plastic recycling and how do you overcome them?
Sophie: There are many challenges in getting started and one of them is sourcing clean plastic waste material. Very often waste plastic ends up in the mixed waste on landfills and becomes very dirty. Start sourcing clean plastic at supermarkets, restaurants, industries and the like. Or even collect plastic waste from door to door or set up small plastic waste collection centres.
 
Starting this business does not require a lot of investment, but growing the business does, because equipment is needed such as balers, grinders and extruders. And to be able to clean dirty plastics very well, processing lines are needed which require considerable investment.
 
AF: What kind of innovation is needed in the business models of plastic recycling?
Sophie: In my opinion innovation is needed in many of the steps of the value chain. In sourcing plastic waste material innovation is needed to obtain cleaner material. Furthermore you need to set up small-scale plastic recycling facilities without using too much electricity and water – often a bottleneck for success. Being clever about how you sort the waste might include using manual labour as much as possible. And last but not least innovation is needed in product design and marketing. Low quality products are made out of recycled plastic and this affects the image of recycled products. In addition, work needs to be done to raise awareness that recycled plastic products are environmentally friendly and of a good quality.
 
AF: Where can you find inspiration for innovative models in plastic recycling?
Sophie: Get inspired to start a business in plastic recycling on the Practical Action website.
 
Kampala in Uganda is a nice example where many entrepreneurs started plastic recycling businesses.
 
An upcoming trend in plastic recycling is 3D printing. In India, for example, local pickers in Pune are trained to collect high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic waste and then shred, melt and convert that plastic into the strands of filament that are the feedstock for one of the world's promising technology industries: 3D printing.
 
Aqua for All, WASTE and Africa Funded joined forces to support entrepreneurs to develop and validate their innovative business models with a positive impact on water and sanitation for the poor. Free Feedback Friday is a registered concept of Africa Funded. It facilitates sharing the knowledge and expertise of WASTE and Aqua for All with entrepreneurs to develop sustainable solutions.
 
Next Free Feedback Friday session is dedicated to entrepreneurs with business plans that will increase access to water and sanitation for the poor and is scheduled at April 24th. Next session Free Feedback Friday on plastics will be announced in our calendar. To plan a slot, please connect with our Skype address Free Feedback Friday and mention WASH or Plastics.

Create Access to Water with the Community of VIA Water

VIA Water, programme on water innovation in African cities, organised its very first public event in February 2015. The event was organised in order for people to get to know the programme, see firsthand what the process of becoming a VIA Water project is like, and to let people experience what the VIA Water community is about. Africa Funded supports Aqua for All, fundmanager of VIA Water with their business incubation program. Saskia Reus-Makkink  provided a workshop on getting your idea to market. Saskia  is founder of Africa Funded and leads the business incubation program at Aqua for All. One of our coachees, Osman Zafar, had the opportunity to tap into the knowledge and expertise of the VIA Water community in one of the workshops. Please find below the report of the event:

About 85 people joined the programme: an interesting mix of (African) students, NGO and government workers, business people and people from the water sector. Rolf Hut, McGyver scientist and engineer at TU Delft provided the ice breaker, in which he emphasised the need to start testing your innovations soon, and to not be afraid to fail. Simply put: stop thinking, start tinkering! The day continued with an informative session on VIA Water, its community and the fund: key components were discussed, such as the importance of sharing your ideas in the Community, the idea of learning by innovating and of course the criteria that a proposal should meet in order to apply for funding. 

The Road to VIA Water - find the video report here!

In the four workshops the building blocks of the programme were highlighted. Kevin Maina, MSc student from Kenya currently studying at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education (which is where VIA Water is residing), showed us the hurdles he has come across with his plan to turn plastic garbage into roofing tiles. The workshop illustrated the need for a good plan, which is also what our selection process aims to steer toward. In this plan, the need to think through the exact research question you are trying to solve is essential, as became clear during the workshop Osman Zafar (SWS International) organised on struvite production from urine. Expert on viable business plans Saskia Reus-Makkink talked about turning innovative ideas into viable business models, while Rolf Hut showed the participants what he means by starting to tinker by making a rain sensor on the spot. The event proved to be a useful introduction of the programme for participants, while for the programme itself is was valuable to see what we can do to lower the barriers for people to join the VIA Water programme and Community.

Source: VIA Water

First Convention Dedicated to the BoP as a Marketplace

Last week the first convention focussing on the Base of the Pyramid as a market was held in Singapore. The event brought multinationals, SME entrepeneurs, NGO's and policy makers together to share experience and learn from eachother to serve the BoP as a market and improve quality of their lifes in a sustainable way. Please find below some take aways from the opening ceremony:

Prof. Jack Sim, Founder of Bop Hub and initiator of the BoP World Convetion:

• No single of us is as good as all of us. We need to work on serving the BoP together
• What are l essons learned from Singapore to become a first world country in 25 years? Can this be recplicable in other larger countries?
• People must not be locked out of the marketplace. Skills must be relevant for jobs and business. Academic education is overvalued.

Sr. Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chair of BRAC:

• 1st we try to become effective, then efficient, then we expand services

Sandeep Kohli, Vice President Marketing Operations South East Asia, Unilever:

• The middle class grew past years and is more visible to the BoP. The BoP today will be middle class tomorrow. They are already in mind set to be middle class today, turning them into customers with very high aspiration: "Stop thinking small sachets, think of new aspirational products meeting the needs of the Base of the Pyramid"
• Unlock the power of partnerships. It is impossible for just a government, an NGO or company in a way that is scalable, profitable and makes a real difference. But is you do this together it will work. But it is hard work to put a partnership together

Paul Polak, CEO Windhorse &  co author of "The Business Solution To Poverty, Designing Products and Services for Three Billion New Customers"

• Achieving scale is the biggest challenge in development today. Conventional development aid has failed. CSR is cosmetic.
• Impact investing is confused about the relationship between relationshion between impact and bottom line profits.
• Scaled inclusive business solutions to poverty will only come through multinationals

Jocelyn Wyatt, Co-Lead + Executive Director of IDEO.org

• Start with collaboration, start even before you have an idea and get them on the table. Make process of collaboration fine. Design the process. Engage them in design process. Give credits to all are involved in the process. In general the lead NGO gets in general most credits, share credits with all partners.
• Critical to design technology with the users (BoP), technology developed in western world might not match needs and wants of BoP

Olivier Kayser, Founder Hystra

• Investing in relationship is key. Easy misunderstanding. Most often NGOs expect a relation to last forever, while a company expect it to last several years.
• Be sure the business is mature enough to scale, something big to be fixed is a challenge"
• There is a true obsession for simplicity to get it ready to scale. Complexity in the supply chain might be the bottleneck. For example simple reading glasses, adding extra colors could not be done in bookkeeping of the small  shops that are selling the glasses to the BoP customers.
• BoP marketing, you need to be patient: “If you 1st customers are extremely happy and spread the word and you are able to get  ball running that is where you want to be. You need to be patient to get the word of mouth working”
• Most frustration in collaboration is the duration of the partnership. Companies think it is temporarily 5-7 years. NGOs think it is for life. Align in early stages.

If you want to be kept up to date about the next BoP World event, please keep an eye on bopworldconvention.org or stay informed via our newsletters.