Goddag,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- SA launches two platforms to boost local eCommerce
- Meet the startup making medical compliance easy in Africa
- Lagos rolls out digital IDs for all buildings
SA launches two platforms to boost local eCommerce
South Africa is about to get a major digital boost. The government, through Proudly SA and the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition, is launching two new eCommerce platforms next week, July 1: Shop Proudly SA (for consumers) and Market Access Platform (MAP) (for businesses). This move is aimed at promoting local products, supporting small enterprises, and boosting job creation, a timely push amid growing calls to support homegrown brands.
These sites will host 1,700+ locally made products, making it easier for shoppers and procurement officers to find and purchase South African. The idea: strengthen local manufacturing, reclaim market share from cheaper imports, and help SMBs penetrate bigger markets, a localised twist on normal online marketplaces.
Big players like Takealot and incoming Amazon shouldn’t be shaken… yet. While Takealot dominates locally (66% of online shoppers used it in 2024, these new platforms carve out a space for South African goods. That said, Takealot and Amazon are key drivers of eCommerce growth: South Africa’s online market reached $35 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit $75 billion by 2033. Consumer trust plus mobile-first habits (60% of online buys via phone) work in the giants’ favour.
Still, local platforms may thrive. Why? South Africans reportedly prefer local clothing brands (74%) and often back homegrown names, especially post-pandemic. And with global entrants like Amazon and Temu entering the fray, these new government-backed platforms could tap into rising nationalist consumer sentiments.
For branding giants like Amazon, this means more competition but also opportunity. If the government solutions prove slow or limited in selection, shoppers could still turn to Takealot or Amazon for broader choices and faster delivery. Plus, MAP might complement Amazon’s B2B outreach, especially as corporates seek local suppliers.
In short, government eCommerce enters the mix with local empowerment top of mind. Whether it flourishes depends on visibility, trust, and how well it meets logistical and marketing needs. Given South Africa’s deep mobile Internet usage (~75%) and rising online purchase comfort, this initiative aligns with broader trends, but it faces stiff competition from established local and global platforms.
Meet the startup making medical compliance easy in Africa
Irene Nwaukwa never planned to be an entrepreneur. Just a month before launching Infinity Health Africa, she was all about the steady 9-to-5 grind. But sometimes, life throws you a curveball, especially when people around you start saying, “Hey, entrepreneurship could work for you.” So, she took the plunge and hasn’t looked back since.
Her first idea was to provide data to healthcare providers to help them make smarter decisions. But after chatting with enough people, she realised data wasn’t the biggest issue. The real problem? Navigating the maze of healthcare regulations in Africa, which can be confusing and overwhelming for many businesses.
Before all this, Irene’s career took some interesting turns. She started as a medical rep, despite not really knowing what that meant. Her main motivation? Getting a car! Things weren’t smooth at first, with salary delays and all, but she eventually built a solid track record at big pharma companies. Later, during the pandemic, she shifted gears and joined healthtech startup 54gene, where she got a firsthand look at the lack of representative data for Africans in medical studies.
That experience opened her eyes to a bigger problem: healthcare companies struggling to understand and comply with ever-changing regulations. That’s when she decided to build Onboard, a regulatory compliance software designed to make life easier for medical product makers and importers. The first tool? A free product readiness calculator that tells businesses how prepared they are to meet regulatory demands in just three minutes.
Onboard doesn’t just help local businesses. It’s also aiming to support foreign companies wanting to enter African markets without setting up shop physically. Currently operating in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, the startup dreams of expanding across the continent and making regulations less of a headache for everyone involved.
For Irene, this mission hits close to home. When her dad needed a pacemaker, she saw firsthand the frustration of medical product availability across borders. Now, through Infinity Health Africa and Onboard, she’s determined to make sure those barriers don’t keep healthcare products out of reach. Since April 2024, the startup has helped register over 200 products and supported companies navigating Nigeria’s complex healthcare landscape. Now, it gets more interesting, doesn’t it? Find out all the deets in Chimgozirim’s latest.
Lagos rolls out digital IDs for all buildings
Lost delivery bikes. Untraceable landlords. Dodgy tax evaders. Lagos has had it all, thanks, in part, to its chaotic address system. But that’s about to change. The Lagos State Government just launched a digital house numbering system, and it could be a game-changer.
Every building, whether it’s a shop, a mansion, or that two-storey house you’re not quite sure is residential or commercial, will soon get a unique digital ID. According to Dr. Olajide Babajide, the governor’s Special Adviser on e-GIS (-Geographic Information Systems), this is Lagos’ way of saying enough to tax evasion and vague property records.
By assigning digital IDs to every structure, the state hopes to finally bring undocumented properties into the tax net and clean up its address database. It’s all part of a wider strategy to formalise the city’s economy and plug revenue leaks. Lagos already rakes in the highest IGR in Nigeria, now, it’s gunning for more.
Beyond taxes, the government says this move will improve urban planning and even emergency services. With precise building IDs, fire trucks and ambulances won’t waste time circling aimlessly on poorly marked streets. That’s a win for safety and efficiency.
It also fits nicely into Lagos’ growing smart city ambitions. From Cowry cards for public transport to digital land registration efforts, the state has been layering tech on top of its famously hectic infrastructure. This digital house ID initiative is the latest upgrade.
But challenges remain, especially in informal settlements where property documentation is murky at best. For this to really work, Lagosians will need to play along, and the state will need to ensure the data is clean, accessible, and actually used. If done right, though, this could be the digital foundation Lagos needs for a truly modern city.
In case you missed it
- Ethiopia mandates all government offices to accept digital payments in enforcement push
What I’m watching and reading
- Professor Answers Neurodiversity Questions | Tech Support | WIRED
- Buddhist Monk: This Daily Habit Is Secretly Making You Lonely & Anxious!
Opportunities
- MasterCard is recruiting a Head of Impact Labs. Apply here.
- Jumia is hiring a Chief Marketing Officer (Pipeline). Apply here.
- Sun King is looking for a Workforce Planning Analyst, Nigeria. Apply here.
- Building a startup can feel isolating, but with Equity Merchants CommunityConnect, you can network with fellow founders, experts, and investors, gaining valuable insights and exclusive resources to help you grow your business. Click here to join.
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Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa.
