103
JULY 2015
BUSINESS
Africa’s techiesanddevelopersarebuilding remarkable internetandmobile-
basedbusinesses thataresolvingcrucial problemsandgaining traction
around theworld.Hereare fiveyouneed toknow...
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MFarm
Mobile software solutionMFarmprovides Kenyan farmerswithdaily
information about commodityprices, and connects rural farmerswithbuyers in
urban and exportmarkets via SMS. The company has receivedmore than $230,000
(€206,000) in funding fromUK-based charityTechFor Trade and isworking
towards profitability.
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HeHeLimited
HeHe, aKigali-basedmobile technologies company, develops
mobile applications that enableRwandanbusinesses to reach their customers and
audiences quickly and affordably. It alsoprovides 24/7 online andoffline support
and cloud storage services for Rwandan-based companies.
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NjorkuNjorku
This Cameroonian job search enginehelps African jobseekers find
employment opportunities innearby locations.
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Marodi.TV
This Senegalese startup is anonline videoplatform streamingAfrican
movies andpopular television shows inFrench.
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GingerApp
Ginger is amessenger application that’s similar toWhatsApp–but
developed inSenegal. Ginger (designedprimarily for Africans) allows users to chat
andmake calls for free. It also integrates stickers and emoticons containingpopular
social phrases fromSenegal, Cameroon, IvoryCoast andGhana.
5Africanstartupstowatch
africabusinessdigest
.
IsmailDouiri
Co-CEO,
AttijariwafaBank
on file
TheAttijariwafaBank isMorocco’s
largest commercial bank innumber
of customers and value of assets.
Thepublicly traded financial services
institutionhasmore than sixmillion
customers, amarket capitalisation
of $7.5billion (€6.7 billion), assets in
excess of $34billion (€30billion)
and a retail networkof around3,000
branches. It employsmore than
15,000people and servicesmore
than fourmillion individual and
institutional clients. An essential
part of thebank’s extraordinary
success story is 43-year-old
visionary Ismail Douiri.
“Forme, themost rewardingpart
ofmy job is the lasting impact that
AttijariwafaBank canhave on
families, onbusinesses, andon its
environment,” he says.
Douiri joinedAttijariwafabank in
2004 as vicepresident of strategy
andwas promoted in2005 to the
positionof
deputy
general
manager.
Hewas
appointed
co-CEO in
2008 and
played a
crucial role
in thebank’s remarkable growthby
spearheading its retail expansion
intoothermarkets inNorthAfrica.
Previously heworked forMorgan
Stanley and at consulting giant
McKinsey. Hehas anMBA from
HarvardBusiness School.
Douiri’s ambition is to see
AttijariwafaBank expand to every
African country. He justmight be the
man tomake it happen.
AWL IMAGES
WORDS:MFONOBONGNSEHE
