DELIVERY STARTUPS

Noki Noki aims for ‘fast, fast’ expansion in Central African markets

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024

Brazzaville-based food and grocery delivery startup has secured foreign funding to help it grow in Kinshasa and various countries in the region.

A Congolese tech startup that offers food delivery and supermarket shopping services has raised US$3-million in seed funding to help it scale and expand its operations into other regional African markets.

Noki Noki aims to solidify its presence in new markets including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The name means “fast, fast” in Lingala, a language spoken in the DRC, Republic of Congo and, to a lesser degree, the Central African Republic, Angola and others.

Illustration: Noki Noki

The company operates three business units: Noki Food for food-delivery services, Noki Drive for supermarket shopping services, and Noki Pay, an internal payment system for its delivery services.

Launched in 2021 by Jonathan Yanghat in Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo, Noki Noki claims to serve over 10,000 users and to have recorded over $167-million in transactions in 2023.

Ambition to revolutionise delivery and e-commerce

“We started the journey with a few motorcycles and a clear ambition: to revolutionise delivery and e-commerce on the continent. This funding brings us closer to our goal of becoming a reference in last-mile delivery in Africa,” Yanghat said in a recent statement.

Since starting in in Brazzaville, Noki Noki has expanded to Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo, as well as outside the country to Dakar, Abidjan and Libreville. Kinshasa in the DRC is now the next target market.

Comments Trendtype, the London-based emerging markets consultancy: “This will bring it into competition with delivery startup Wiikko, which has focused exclusively on the Kinshasa market and has 16,000 active customers and 1,000 merchants.

“The key question for Noki Noki is how well it can operate in four or five countries: the direct comparison is Kenyan B2B buying platform Wasoko, which secured a $150-million funding round and expanded across East and West Africa, but has ultimately pulled back from almost all of its expansion markets.”

Conference hall stage with a man in a blue suit speaking at a podium on a large screen ticon africa banner visible'shaping the future of ict in africa'

Landmark gathering gets underway with delegates from over 30 countries

Opening plenary hears that securing Africa’s economic future requires businesses to discover new customers and cross-border opportunities.

Pre-conference masterclass discusses taking African brands to the world

Participants challenged to identify, articulate and commercialise the cultural assets that make their brand ready for a global audience.

Three people stand side by side in front of a sports direct backdrop the woman in the middle holds a blue and orange 'sports direct' sign

Africa’s first Sports Direct retail store opens its doors in Nairobi

Second outlet planned for Nairobi before year end, with Nigeria, South Africa and Morocco said to be future target markets.

Person wearing a beige sweater holds a phone with a translucent search bar reading 'search' and microphonecamera icons in the foreground

Search is fragmenting – credibility and trust create the new visibility

Online search behaviour has changed significantly with the rise of AI. How can African brands adapt to this new marketing landscape?

Person shopping at a deli counter holding an orange shopping basket in a cheese section of a supermarket

The move toward future-ready food packaging where materials meet AI

Researchers propose a framework for packaging that senses, learns and acts – making packaging an active, AI-powered tool against food waste.

Conference stage with a woman in a patterned dress speaking to an audience large screens display '' logos and banners for a marketers conference with 'institute of marketing in malawi' branding on stage panels and backdrop

Malawi’s marketers urged to put trust at the heart of the profession

Country needs marketers to build recognition and consumer trust around Malawian products and national brand, says Deputy Minister.

Lingerie brand creates street-stopping advertising in Manhattan

Fashion brand suspends giant lingerie high above the city’s streets, using shadows to create a moving billboard for pedestrians and motorists.

We know AI influencers aren’t real – so why do we trust them?

Researchers describe AI influencers as having a ‘dual identity’. Consumers evaluate both ‘person’ and ‘technology’ identities at once.

Hotel receptionist assisting a guest at the check in counter with a gray suitcase nearby behind the desk

Why trust has become a critical asset for hotel industry marketers

Reputation and trust, once modest influences on hotel choice, have become some of the strongest predictors of patronage, study finds.

Three people in formal attire pose for a photo at an awards event a woman in a pink dress holds a trophy while two men in suits stand beside her against a gold confetti backdrop

FNB bank’s eBucks programme dominates the 2026 SA loyalty awards

South African brands are increasingly setting the global benchmark for customer loyalty strategies, organisers say.

Portrait of a man with short black hair and a beard wearing a black button down shirt against a light gray background

Zambia’s strongest creative ideas are emerging from local truths

Global influences among younger consumers are still present, but they are being filtered through a distinctly Zambian lens.