The retail landscape across Africa is undergoing a profound transformation. A new wave of entrepreneurs is dismantling long-standing inefficiencies, whether in payments, supply chains, or data insights; by introducing agile, tech-driven solutions that empower retailers and brands across urban and informal markets. Below are three visionary leaders driving this change in 2025
1. Onyekachi Izukanne – TradeDepot
Founded by Onyekachi Izukanne, TradeDepot is a Nigerian B2B e-commerce platform that is revolutionizing the informal retail sector by digitizing the supply chain for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs). The platform directly connects consumer goods brands to a vast network of informal retailers, bypassing traditional, fragmented wholesale channels.
Through its mobile and web-based platform, TradeDepot allows small shop owners to order inventory with ease, with the convenience of doorstep delivery. A key element of its value proposition is the embedded fintech layer, which provides credit facilities to retailers. This “buy now, pay later” service enables merchants to purchase more stock and expand their businesses, addressing a major barrier to growth in this segment.
Izukanne’s vision has attracted significant investor interest, solidifying TradeDepot’s position as a leader in the B2B e-commerce space. The company has raised a total of $123 million over several funding rounds.
2. Ismael Belkhayat – Chari (and Karny fintech app)
The Moroccan couple behind Chari turned their consultancy experiences in sub-Saharan Africa into insight. Realising the structural similarities of small FMCG corner shops across the region, they launched Chari in 2020 to serve unbanked shopkeepers in Morocco and Ivory Coast.
Driven by the vision of a connected Francophone African retail market, Sophia Alj and Ismael Belkhayat founded Chariin 2020. The Moroccan startup’s mission is to serve unbanked shopkeepers by providing a powerful B2B e-commerce platform that simplifies inventory ordering and delivery. Chari’s app allows over 15,000 Moroccan retailers to order FMCG products and receive next-day delivery, directly addressing a key challenge of informal retail.
Beyond logistics, Chari’s key differentiator is its fintech layer, Karny, which was acquired by Chari in 2021. Karny is a free digital credit book that helps merchants manage their credit and bookkeeping, a crucial step toward financial inclusion for a large population of small business owners. This strategy of combining e-commerce with embedded finance has been instrumental to Chari’s rapid growth and its position as a leading retail tech company in the region.
To support this expansion, Chari has been successful in attracting significant funding. In addition to a $5 million seed round in 2021, the company secured a bridge round in early 2022 that valued the company at $100 million. Chari has also strategically acquired companies to accelerate its growth, including Karny and the Ivorian B2B e-commerce app Diago to facilitate its expansion into Côte d’Ivoire
3. Deepankar Rustagi – OmniRetail
Founded in 2019 by Deepankar Rustagi, Nigeria’s OmniRetail is a B2B e-commerce platform that connects FMCG manufacturers and distributors with retailers across West Africa. The company’s asset-light model leverages technology to streamline supply chains, offering logistics, warehousing, and payment tools through its platforms Mplify, Omnibiz, and OmniPay.
OmniRetail supports over 200 manufacturers and 140,000 retailers, providing crucial credit and embedded finance solutions in fragmented markets. This scalable model led to its recognition as the top company on the Financial Times’ Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies 2024 list.To fuel its rapid expansion, OmniRetail has raised a total of $38 million in equity and debt. This includes a significant $20 million Series A funding round led by Norfund and Timon Capital, with participation from investors like Ventures Platform and Goodwell Investments. This capital is being used to expand its operations in Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire and to grow its The retail landscape in Africa is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by innovative solutions that bridge the gap between technology and traditional commerce.
From digitising supply chains to streamlining payments and improving last-mile delivery, these businesses are reshaping how goods move from manufacturers to consumers. Their collective impact is not only modernising the retail experience but also creating more inclusive economic opportunities for millions across the continent. As market adoption grows and digital infrastructure strengthens, the coming years are poised to witness even greater leaps in efficiency, scale, and consumer reach.
