TechCabal Daily - South African startup, Zulzi, raises $1.6m

Nigeria’s movie industry, Nollywood is one of the sectors feeling the brunt of Covid-19.

Nollywood is one of the biggest movie industries in the world, but thanks to social distancing rules, many movie sets are closed and production has been forced to close.

Is there any hope that digital innovation can come to Nollywood’s aid? That’s the question Kay sets out to answer in this
article and for now, Nollywood will just have to bear the pains.

Here’s an excerpt from Kay’s article:

“Some productions have attempted to or are using tools like Zoom or WhatsApp for table reads or callbacks especially where auditions were carried out prior to the lockdown. But Osagie says even this isn’t ideal.”

“A table read can happen on Zoom but it isn’t the sort of thing I would prefer because the chemistry of it might get lost via online interaction,” she tells TechCabal. ”

South African grocery delivery startup, Zulzi has raised R30 million ($1.6m) from an unnamed investor.

The startup, which was founded in 2013 and launched in 2016, allows members to get direct access to thousands of grocery items through a mobile app.

The app allows customers to build their grocery lists and purchase items without ever visiting a store. Trained shoppers then handpick and deliver the
items, transforming the grocery shopping experience.

Read all about the raise here.

Despite an increase in the reported number of confirmed coronavirus cases, South African business leaders are putting pressure on the President to re-open the economy.

According to Andrew Lapping, a Cape Town-based chief investment officer at Allan Gray “I am concerned that our government’s
lockdown approach and the subsequent economic hardship inflicted on our people will cost more lives than it can save.”

Other business people in South Africa also joined his call for government to open the economy. They cite the possibility of the economy shrinking by as much as 16% and a possible rise in unemployment figures.

Read all about it here.

On May 15, 2020, TechCabal is holding a digital conference, themed Bullish on Africa, in partnership with Pariti. The event will speak to the future of Africa’s tech industry with optimism and strength and critical thinking about what it takes to get to a stronger industry from where we are today.

This digital conference will bring together experienced tech thinkers and doers from Africa and across the world including entrepreneurs and investors to speak about the opportunities they are looking at and to share their experiences about what the continent should be building and how to build strong, sustainable and profitable companies in a moment of crisis.

Confirmed speakers for the conference include Kola Aina, Founder, Ventures Platform; Andreata Muforo, Partner, TLcom TIDE Africa Fund; Benjamin Schmerler, Partner, SUNU Capital; Nisha Ligon, CEO, Ubongo; and Alain Nteff, CEO, Health Lane; among others.

If you are a startup in health or edtech willing to join our investor matchmaking session, please fill in this form. Startups in any sector expanding as a result of coronavirus can also apply. Investors interested in meeting startups can apply here.