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Kenya’s B2B e-commerce meals distribution platform Twiga has laid off 211 of its full-time workers following restructuring that has eradicated the corporate’s in-house gross sales workforce.
The laid-off workers make up 21% of the over 1,000 workers primarily in Kenya, the place it hyperlinks farmers or agricultural producers and fast-moving client items manufactures to retailers.
The agritech’s CEO and co-founder Peter Njonjo advised TechCrunch that the laid-off commerce improvement representatives got the choice of working for the corporate as impartial brokers with pay based mostly on the shoppers they purchase and gross sales they make.
The representatives signed up distributors and have been accountable for buyer relations, gathering market intelligence and selling merchandise to purchasers. Within the present proposition, the brokers will perform related duties.
Experiences additionally state that Twiga has restricted its workers journey allowances as a part of its cost-cutting measures.
“Twiga lately launched a brand new optimized gross sales brokers’ program … the place present Commerce Improvement Representatives (TDRs) will transition from everlasting workers into impartial brokers on a 100% fee foundation,” stated Twiga in response to a TechCrunch inquiry, including that the transition of the TDRs was made according to labor legal guidelines and that impacted workers have been granted the primary proper of refusal to transition to the brand new mannequin.
The corporate says it plans to create 1,000 alternatives by way of the agent mannequin by the top of subsequent yr’s first quarter.
“This transition creates a chance for entrepreneurship open to former gross sales brokers and most of the people. The good thing about this transition is that it permits for increased earnings based mostly on the hassle and enterprise of the agent. This mannequin has labored with different companies like insurance coverage and banking which have transitioned totally into Unbiased Brokers in Kenya.”
Twiga, co-founded by Njonjo and Grant Brooke in 2014, joins the rising checklist of startups in Africa and throughout the globe downsizing amid a slowdown in VC funding, which has made capital for operations and progress onerous to entry.
The modifications come precisely a yr after Twiga raised $50 million in collection C spherical to scale in Kenya and develop to neighboring international locations. The spherical was led by Paris- and Nairobi-based household workplace and personal fairness agency Creadev as TLcom Capital, IFC Ventures, DOB Fairness and Goldman Sachs’ spinoff Juven made follow-on investments.
In addition they lately launched Twiga Contemporary, an addition to its non-public label by way of which it is going to farm and distribute its personal agricultural produce to merchants and to cope with traceability challenges, inventory outs and value volatility — which have made it onerous for the corporate to ship on its promise of affordability and meals safety.
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