Hi, welcome to Tech This Evening, an After-Work Tech Newsletter from Techparley Africa. Sure, there is a lot to unpack right now. Sit back, while I walk you through.
Top Story: Naritive Is Redefining Digital Advertising Through Ad Formats, Helping Brands Drive Audience Engagement
Digital advertising has long wrestled with a persistent challenge, as audiences increasingly ignore online adverts. For South African startup Naritive, this gap between advertising spend and audience engagement became the catalyst for innovation.
Founded by Rafiq Phillips and Nicolas Van Zyl, the company set out to redesign how display advertising works by making ads interactive rather than passive.
What began as a prototype in Johannesburg in early 2024 has since evolved into a platform now used by more than 100 brands and agencies spanning Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States.
“The fact that we have repeat business remains one of the strongest performance indicators. Because clients return with new campaigns; it shows we have satisfied users,” Phillips says. “Some of the unique features and functionality that we do have is not available in other forms of display advertising.”
Other Tech News Stories You Should Read:
Risevest Secures SEC Licence, Cementing Regulatory Standing in Nigeria’s Capital Market. Read now.
Ricursive Intelligence Raises $300m to Automate Chip Design with AI. Read now.
XSML Capital Raises US$142M for Fourth African Fund, Surpassing Target in Strong Vote of Confidence for SME Financing. Read now.
On Startup Spotlight:
Kenyan Startup, G-rani, Digitises Informal Carpooling for Commuters as Affordable Alternative to Ride-Hailing
Kenyan mobility startup, G-rani, is positioning itself as a cost-sharing alternative to ride-hailing and public transport by digitising the informal carpooling networks that already underpin commuting patterns in Nairobi.
The platform enables drivers with spare seats to coordinate trips with riders travelling similar routes, creating a marketplace built around shared commuting rather than commercial ride services. The company says about 7,000 users have registered since launch, with roughly 25 per cent actively using the platform.
The idea for G-rani emerged in 2023 when co-founder and chief executive Eric Mutui observed the inefficiency of largely underutilised private vehicles during peak commuting hours.
“I saw many people driving by, and I thought this was a waste of resources when you have so many cars on the road with either one or two occupants,” Mutui says. “From that day, I began designing the app on paper.”
Co-founder and chief marketing officer Linnet Kitonga notes that the platform builds on an existing behavioural pattern. As urban expansion pushes workers farther from employment centres, informal carpooling arrangements among neighbours and colleagues have become increasingly common across Kenya’s cities.
Quadri Adejumo brings you all the details. Read here.
Also Read:
South Africa’s HAVAÍC Secures Fresh Backing for $50m Fund III, Deepens Stake on Africa-Born Startups With Global Ambitions. Yakub Abdulrasheed brings us the details, here.
Quote of the Day:
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is equivalent to magic.” – Arthur C. Clarke.
Thank you for joining me yet again this evening. Stay safe, and see you tomorrow for the next tech newsletter.
Best, Quadri
