ImpactAlpha, October 4 — The domestic services industry in Africa has a reputation for being unregulated and exploitative. Cape Town-based SweepSouth launched in 2014 to offer workers independence, security and steady income increases. Customers get more affordable and flexible services.
SweepSouth’s workers get notified when customers near them request painting, gardening, cleaning the pool, mopping, laundry and other general home cleaning tasks.
SweepSouth has raised $11 million to expand in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and Egypt.” Investors include Naspers Foundry, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Endeavor Catalyst, E4E Africa and others. SweepSouth is also championing the economic and legal rights of domestic workers in South Africa.
Women-led funds
Female fund managers in South Africa are banding together to overcome misperceptions of risks and to raise capital for enterprises by and for women.
Altheia IDF, $100 million joint venture gender-lens fund between Nigeria’s Alitheia Capital and South Africa’s IDF Capital, closed late last year to invest in growth-stage women-led businesses in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Zambia in agriculture, education, health, financial services, technology and logistics.
