A Kenyan eCommerce startup, Wasoko, has decided to close down its operations in Tanzania and hit “pause” on operations in Uganda and Zambia.
Wasoko, though, says it’s still representing Silicon Zanzibar as a “private sector ambassador.” It will continue to operate in Kenya, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For those wondering what inspired the company’s actions, it says it’s part of a company-wide restructuring to focus on its robust markets.
Recall that in December 2023, Wasoko and an Egyptian eCommerce company, MaxAB, revealed plans to merge, to create a powerhouse that would service 65 million customers across eight African markets.
However, it has not all been smooth sailing since the announcement. Some major executives, like co-founder Josh Raine, the Chief Finance Officer, and the Chief Technology Officer reportedly jumped ship. Even the HR quit in February 2024.
But it’s not just the top dogs, about 10% of the workforce got kicked out in January due to overlapping roles after the merger was announced.
It gets worse too, as some former employees have claimed they were given a raw deal with their exit packages, and are taking legal action against Wasoko.
