African startups showcase practical innovations at Viva Tech conference

As the annual Viva Tech conference marks its 10th anniversary, African startups are increasingly making their mark on the annual event.

At VivaTech, fintech, banking solutions and AI occupy a central place in the startup ecosystem. But beyond these major trends, some projects are focusing on very practical issues, such as reducing post-harvest losses in Africa — a key challenge for food security and agricultural development.

We head to a stand dedicated to agricultural logistics. The service is designed to address a simple problem: crops that are not transported quickly enough and can sometimes spoil before reaching their destination.

The system is built around solutions tailored to realities on the ground in Côte d’Ivoire.

Ibrahima Soumaré is CEO and Founder of LivraiX:

"A producer or exporter who wants to transport goods from Djekoué to San Pedro simply logs onto the platform. They indicate the quantity of cocoa they want delivered from Djekoué to San Pedro. The request is then registered, and they automatically gain access to transport operators in the area who can handle and deliver the shipment.

Transport is then adapted to the type of product. For cocoa, for example, a truck is used. If it is tomatoes, a vehicle specifically suited to transporting tomatoes is required."

But for this kind of project to grow and be adopted on a larger scale, support mechanisms are also essential.

"A startup can benefit from support in the form of grants of up to 50 million CFA francs," says Abdou Mbacké Lo, Lead Innovation & Startup Support at ADEPME. "These funds can be renewed, reaching a total of up to 100 million CFA francs."

"However, everything depends on the startup’s level of maturity. You cannot award 50 million CFA francs to a company that has just been created. Each application is therefore assessed on a case-by-case basis."

Another key player present at the event is universities, which are adapting their training programmes to meet the needs of the digital economy and innovation.

"The new philosophy of education places a strong emphasis on innovation and industrialisation," Professor Paul Mapfumo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe told Africanews.

"We believe this represents the greatest opportunity currently available to the country, and we are already seeing signs that this approach is beginning to deliver results."