Cape Town-based startup Yebo Fresh, which delivers fresh, frozen and dry groceries to township communities, has closed a second round of funding as it plans to speed its growth.
Yebo Fresh is a community-driven and technology-enabled shopping service that saves its customers time, money and hassle by delivering essential groceries at affordable prices.
Where traditional food retailers often lack a network within townships, Yebo Fresh’s ‘pop-up’ sales model engages directly with the market, delivering orders straight to customers’ doorsteps.
The round of funding comes from early-stage investor E4EAfrica.com, WooThemes co-founder Mark Forrester and Neil Watson, former chief executive officer (CEO) of Digital Planet, with Yebo Fresh saying it was “overwhelmed” by the levels of interest in being a part of its innovative solution to shopping for its township-based clients.
Yebo Fresh founder and CEO Jessica Boonstra said she could not disclose the size of the round, but said it was a “good size funding round” that would allow the startup to seriously expand its technology and footprint, and to grow quickly in the coming months. The startup was launched in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, in September 2018, and is now operational and rapidly expanding in Hangberg, Langa, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha and Mfuleni.
Boonstra said the company’s core team was brought together by a relentless drive to improve quality of life through technology.
“The global e-commerce revolution should not only be accessible to a handful of South Africans, Yebo Fresh aims to extend this to the majority, and in so doing, accessing a huge untapped market. We use technology, innovative processes and partnerships to make food shopping easier, cheaper and safer and we assist in supporting healthier food options for our customers,” she said.
Bas Hochstenbach, co-founder of E4EAfrica, said his company was delighted to have brought together a group of very experienced entrepreneurs that – besides investing the required capital – can add tremendous value in all aspects of the startup’s operations.
“The Yebo Fresh business model is smart and has huge potential to make a serious positive impact. We’re all excited to assist the Yebo Fresh team in making good things happen,” he said.
Yebo Fresh was initially funded by entrepreneur and investor Professor Stefan Allesch-Taylor.
