BongoHive, had the distinct honor of hosting French Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, during his visit to Lusaka yesterday. Accompanied by the French Ambassador to Zambia, Thomas Rossignol, the minister was warmly received by BongoHive Co-founders Lukonga Lindunda and Simunza Muyangana.

Expressing his admiration for BongoHive’s support of startups, Minister Soilihi highlighted France’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship. He praised the work being done at BongoHive, emphasizing the importance of knowledge exchange and collaboration between Zambia and France. He noted that France had recently launched a foundation aimed at supporting startups, including initiatives in Zambia, reinforcing a shared commitment to innovation and growth.

During the visit, Duniya Healthcare, a health-tech startup accelerated by BongoHive, showcased its efforts in revolutionizing Zambia’s healthcare supply chain. Founded by Mwansa Chalo, Duniya Healthcare has been a part of several BongoHive programs and is tackling one of Zambia’s most pressing healthcare challenges—the distribution of medicine to remote areas. Through a partnership with the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops, the startup is digitizing procurement for 75 mission hospitals nationwide, ensuring a seamless and reliable supply of essential medicines. Minister Soilihi praised this initiative, underscoring the significance of technology-driven solutions in healthcare and their alignment with France’s commitment to supporting African entrepreneurship.

The visit also highlighted BongoHive’s collaboration with Digital Africa, a French-led initiative dedicated to empowering African tech entrepreneurs. Since its launch in 2018, Digital Africa has been instrumental in capacity building, technical assistance, and funding facilitation. BongoHive has played a key role in this mission, particularly through its investment readiness bootcamp, which prepares startups for investor engagement with intensive training and a Demo Day for pitching to investors and stakeholders.

Minister Soilihi’s visit reaffirmed the importance of global partnerships in driving innovation and entrepreneurship. His remarks reinforced France’s commitment to working with hubs like BongoHive to support tech-driven startups and strengthen ties between the two nations. With continued local and international collaborations, BongoHive remains a leader in nurturing entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and shaping the future of business in Africa.

For media inquiries, please contact: Tilyenji Mundungani
Marketing Communications Lead
BongoHive
Email: [email protected]