Twiga Foods hits pause

Twiga Foods, a Kenyan e-commerce company, once promised to fix the country's broken food supply chain by owning all of it—from farm to market. That vision helped it raise over $180 million. But on June 5, it hit pause on operations in Nairobi.

Why? Officially, Twiga says the two-month break is to relocate its distribution hub from Tatu City to somewhere closer to the capital. The company is considering possible new locations Baba Dogo, Mombasa Road, and Syokimau, for its new distribution hub.

Yet, behind that move is a deeper reset. The company is walking away from the heavy infrastructure it once saw as its edge.

It took Twiga too long to admit its capital-heavy model wasn’t working. It tried to be a farmer, a warehouse operator, and a delivery company all at once—and bled money doing it. Now it’s trying a different approach. It has cut hundreds of jobs, bought up three local distributors, and is shifting to a leaner model that uses tech and third-party partners to do the hard work.

The Nairobi pause is the latest step in that shift. Twiga hopes that centralising its operations and moving to a lighter footprint will help it lower costs, speed up deliveries, and keep retailers stocked.

But none of this guarantees a turnaround. Copia Global once had a similar story—and it shut down in 2024 after running out of cash. Twiga says it’s still committed to serving small retailers and believes it can make the numbers work. The next two months could tell us if that belief holds up.

Sierra Leone is flipping the switch on its first 5G network.

Zoodlabs, a local telco, has teamed up with CrossBoundary Energy, an energy service provider, to power the country’s first 5G towers. The initial towers, which will be powered by solar energy, are set to be launched in Freetown and will be funded by CrossBoundary Energy.

With the new 5G network Sierra Leone is well on its way to improved internet connectivity—think faster network, no network lag. The country is also set to see advancements such as smart cities, remote healthcare, and the application of Internet of Things (IoT). 

Why is this a big deal? By combining technology with clean energy, Sierra Leone isn’t just catching up, it’s standing out. With this move, the country has positioned itself as a pioneer in sustainable digital infrastructure and might just inspire a regional copycat effect.

Africa's 5G map:South Africa is probably having its ‘proud mama’ moment as the leader of Africa’s 5G rollout with 10 million subscribers and counting. Nigeria’s adoption is crawling at 3% and Kenya has over 500,000 5G subscribers. In Ethiopia, Ethio Telecom launched its 5G network in 2024.

Zoom Out: If more countries follow Sierra Leone’s blueprint, we could see a continent where digital transformation doesn’t come at the environment’s expense. The real question now is: who’s next?

We get it when mature companies spin off side businesses to expand their revenue net. It’s a way to create multiple income streams and stretch their growth ceilings. African telecom giants like MTN and Ethio Telecom make similar business expansion plays. For example, MTN sells low-cost mobile phones and plans to launch a streaming service—again—and Ethio has fingerprints in e-commerce.

But what’s more surprising is when a fashion retailer decides to start making and selling smartphones.

South Africa’s Mr Price did just that. Quietly, it launched a smartphone line called Salt, and in its latest results, the company's telecoms revenue rose 13.2% to R1.3 billion ($73.1 million). This included the undisclosed sales of its Salt smartphones which it sells through 592 retail outlets in the country.

Yet, this wasn’t a random pivot. Mr Price has been active in the mobile space for years. Its mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) business, Mr Price Mobile, competes directly with other retailers like Shoprite and Pick n Pay in offering low-cost data and prepaid deals. Selling its own devices is a natural extension of that strategy.

Salt smartphones are affordable, priced between R1,399 ($79) and R2,999 ($169), and are sold directly to everyday shoppers in Mr Price stores. Budget smartphones in South Africa start around this price range, so this makes the Salt smartphone an appealing option.

Mr Price says that nearly seven out of ten Salt smartphone buyers also purchase mobile accessories like chargers and cases, keeping the spending inside its own stores. This helps to drive more revenue per customer.

Mr Price is using its massive retail footprint to integrate telecoms into customers’ daily shopping experience. They can pick up a phone while buying jeans or a kettle. It’s not competing with major brands in the country like Apple or Samsung; rather, it is locking in the loyalty of budget-conscious customers who already shop there.