A few years back, many companies started devising how to reduce the amount of waste product released into the atmosphere.

In the same vein, a few startups have started recycling operations. They focused on collecting non-degradable waste materials like plastic and nylon that litter the surface of the earth.

Now, a Nigerian-based tech firm has invented a comfortable and profitable way of recycling waste materials. Scrappays has combined technology, recycling, and finance together.

The Scrappay platform enables households and business to sell off recyclable waste at befitting prices.

The Started was established by Boluwatife Arewa, Olumide Ogunleye, and Tope Sulaimon in 2019.

The firm came to limelight following its participation in the Founder’s Institute accelerator programme.

Scrappay leverages USSD, mobile app, web app, and Internet of Things technology to facilitate the decentralized collection of recyclable waste.

Waste producers – individuals or corporate bodies – can optimize their recyclable waste disposal process by having local collectors remove such waste. The process saves time, helps them earn extra cash, and provides an income source for the collectors.

‘’With over 85% of recyclable materials produced not recovered, speculation has it that waste generation volume would quadruple over the next three decades,’’ Sulaimon said.

‘’The collection deficit is increasing astronomically and in turn increasing the market size. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has the fastest growing waste production rate.’’

‘’The market focuses on producer compensation alone, and it has not been self-propagating across income classes.’’

Scrappay aims to correct the system that favours the producers alone. The startup allows users to decide when they wish to dispose of recyclable waste in exchange for cash.

The initiative also allows people to earn a living by hosting a collection point or becoming an independent collector of recyclable waste.

‘’The entire Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia are target markets for us. And we look forward to expand into those regions soon,’’ Sulaimon concluded.

Gradually, digital payment is taking over almost all other payment means. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many innovators launched several digital payment solutions to allows customers to make payment remotely.

Now, CreditGo has announced a new Business-to-Business payment channel and merchant wallet for small startups.

The platform allows unbanked merchants to make payments, pay bills, and sell electronic services such as airtime.

CreditGo came to life in January 2020. However, the startup didn’t go public until June 2020. The payment interface aims to allow merchants conquer the challenges of PoS machine acquisition cost.

CreditGo offers its customers swift and secure electronic services through a free mobile application.

The CreditGo payment app allows merchants to earn commissions on airtime sales, and it also facilitates customer’s bill payments.

According to the firm, merchants will be able to buy products from wholesalers using their CreditGo wallet in the coming weeks.

‘’We took a huge advantage of the market segment that is left behind from the banking system and financial institutions,’’ said Omar El Welely, CEO of CreditGo.

‘’The unbanked sector in Egypt and the informal economy makes 45% of Egypt’s economy. We are talking about an annual market of US$73 billion.’’

‘’We are in talks with VCs and angel investors from within and outside Egypt. We have plans to expand to similar African markets in the future,’’ Omar concluded.

As the world continues to advance in tech innovations, a South African based firm has devised a comfortable means for farmers to sell their products.

Recently, Nile unveiled a tech-enabled online platform that facilitates the wholesale trade of fresh farm produce. The innovation aims to provide a seamless connection between farmers and direct buyers.

The startup is a Business-to-Business firm that aggregates supply across the SADC region. It provides buyers with high-quality fresh farm produce at competitive rates.

‘’Our platform makes it easy to trade farm produce. Wholesale buyers can now view the availability and live prices of preferred produce from multiple farmers across different regions. A buyer can make an instant order by selecting specific ripeness, grade, size, and packaging,’’ said Louis de Kock, co-founder of Nile.

The founding team of the startup started deploying the concept behind the online marketplace last February. However, the platform didn’t launch until last November when it went public.

The startup aims to take advantage of the rate at which people desire quality and fresh farm produce in South Africa to generate some revenue.

‘’Nile has developed a digital ecosystem that solves issues inherent to food trading – including quality verification, price discovery, payments, and logistics,’’ Kock concluded.