10 most innovative companies in Africa according to Fast Company

The African-based business magazine, Fast Company, has released its list ranking the top 10 most innovative companies on the continent for 2019.

The magazine selected its top businesses based on the companies that are “making the most profound impact on both industry and culture.”

10. Aerobotics

The Cape Town-based company uses drone and satellite data to protect farmers with pest and disease management systems.

9. Ovamba Solutions

The company aims to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa by providing them with short-term capital from its headquarters in Washington DC, US.

8. The Sun Exchange

“We identify perfect roof spaces basking in sunshine for you to get solar cells installed upon at the click of a button,” claims the Cape Town-headquartered company.

7. Yego Innovision

The business is aiming to regulate motorcycle traffic in Rwanda with its platform. The company was licenced by the government last year after a trial run with 840 motorbike taxis in 2017.

6. Talamus Health

The LA-based firm offers an “easy to use and yet comprehensive interface” which aims to improve efficiency in patient care.

5. Farm to Market Alliance

Kenya’s Farm to Market Alliance is an amalgamation of eight leading agro-businesses that educate, equip, and empower around 1.5mn smallholder farmers. The organisation aims to connect the farmers to commercially viable markets.

4. Sanku Project Healthy Children

Based in Tanzania and the US, the project “scale[s] technology and business solutions that put lifesaving nutrients into the food that hundreds of millions of malnourished people eat the most.”

3. Flare

Flare provides support to emergency response teams in Kenya through software infrastructure.

2. Flutterwave

The company describes itself as “the complete payment solution to thrive in the global economy.” The firm has two global offices – one in San Francisco, US, and one in Lagos, Nigeria.

1. African Leadership University

Located in Mauritius, the university claims to be “pioneering a fresh approach to higher education in the 21st century”. The establishment offers undergraduate, postgraduate and executive education programmes.

“We're taking businesses from local to global using financial technology,” Olugbenga GB Agboola, Founder of Flutterwave, informed CNN.

“We're more than just a payments company, we are in the business of growing businesses, hence it feels good to see recognition for what we do in payments and beyond.”