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: Lengo: How this Lagos Startup is Using AI and WhatsApp to Bring Visibility to Nigeria’s Businesses
Lagos-based startup, Lengo, founded in 2022, is using artificial intelligence to solve one of Africa’s biggest retail challenges: visibility into its vast informal market.
According to Lengo, it is building a data-driven platform to help global consumer goods giants like Coca-Cola and Unilever understand where and how their products move in fragmented markets.
CEO and founder Max Smith says the idea started in Senegal, where a multinational client asked him to update its retailer database.
“There’s little visibility on what’s being sold, in which quantities, and to whom,” says Max Smith. “We found twice as many as they had. That’s when we knew there was a big gap.”
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A–Z Guide: How to Professionally Leverage a Media Feature as a Startup Owner. Read now.
WORK SMART: Top 10 Apps for Real Estate in 2025. Read now.
How to Protect Your WhatsApp and Telegram from Hackers: An In-Depth Guide. Read now.
On Startup Spotlight:
How Watu is Using Smartphone Loans to Power Financial Inclusion in Africa
Watu Credit, a Pan-African buy-now-pay-later firm, is betting on smartphones as the next frontier of financial inclusion in Africa. Once known primarily for financing motorbikes, the company has also shifted its focus to handset loans.
By targeting low-income earners and informal workers who are excluded from formal credit, Watu believes smartphone financing can unlock new opportunities for digital access, economic participation, and growth across the continent.
“We’re targeting the financing of 5,000 electric vehicles, expanding our smartphone financing to over two million devices, and continuing our geographic expansion while deepening our impact in existing markets,” Watu said in its 2024 sustainability report.
The company’s sustainability report indicates that Watu sees its role not just as a lender, but as an enabler of digital inclusion.
Quadri Adejumo brings you all the details. Read here.
Also Read:
Egypt’s Instabug Rebrands as Luciq to Signal Broader Tech Ambitions: Why It Matters. 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
