Wasoko logo

Wasoko

Growth

Merged with MaxAB (Aug 2024); 450K+ African merchants; pivoting toward fintech to improve margins in 2025.

Best for: B2B Informal Retail & Supply Chain Africa
E-commerce & RetailB2B Informal Retail & Supply Chain AfricaWebsiteUpdated May 2026

Company Overview

About Wasoko

Wasoko is a B2B e-commerce platform serving informal retailers (dukas, kiosks, and small shops) across sub-Saharan Africa, enabling them to order fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) via app, phone, or field agents with next-day delivery. In August 2024, Wasoko completed its merger with Cairo-headquartered MaxAB, forming the largest network of B2B informal retail merchants in Africa, with over 450,000 merchants across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, and Morocco and approximately 4,000 employees. Co-CEOs Daniel Yu (Wasoko) and Belal El-Megharbel (MaxAB) lead the combined entity.

Business Model & Competitive Advantage

The merger creates a pan-African platform with coverage across both East and North Africa, combining Wasoko's logistics infrastructure with MaxAB's tech platform and market relationships. The combined entity has since acquired Fatura, a key competitor, in May 2025, further consolidating the African B2B e-commerce market. In 2025, the group has pushed harder into embedded fintech—offering working capital loans and payment solutions to merchant partners—to improve unit economics and margins above and beyond the thin-margin distribution business.

Competitive Landscape 2025–2026

Wasoko represents the maturation of Africa's B2B digital commerce sector. Backed by investors including Sequoia Capital Africa, Tiger Global, and Avenir Growth, the company has weathered a sector-wide funding contraction that forced competitors like Zumi and Wabi to shut down, positioning it as the scaled survivor in a consolidating market. Its fintech pivot reflects a broader sector trend toward margin-accretive financial services layered on top of merchant distribution networks.

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