Last-mile access to female health products 

A platform connects pharmacies and health clinics with customers and enables easy online ordering

Spotted: Research by the BBC has found that menstrual products in a number of African countries are financially out of reach for many women and girls, leading to thousands of days lost in education and work. Alongside period campaigners and other organisations working to make menstrual products more accessible is digital retail and last-mile distribution platform Kasha. Based in Rwanda, the company connects customers with high quality, affordable health and household goods, including pharmaceutical products.  

Kasha provides a sales platform for retailers, links women in rural areas with delivery services, and helps supply health facilities. Using a network of delivery drivers and dedicated pick-up locations, Kasha allows customers to shop for essential health products, such as those for family planning and HIV/AIDS treatment, with reliability and privacy. The company partners with a range of organisations, including pharmacies, health teams and local businesses, to make it possible for women in particular to buy the products they need regularly. 

Customers without access to a smartphone or the internet have alternative means of placing orders with dedicated phone numbers and several different payment options. Products are simply wrapped in brown paper, and part of Kasha’s service is a dedicated system of last mile delivery options for areas frequently inaccessible via traditional methods.  

Having closed a Series B round of funding in mid-2023 that raised $21 million USD, the company plans to continue its expansion across Africa. The platform is already available in Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa and will become available in West Africa late in 2023.  

While affordability is a necessary area of focus for innovators in femtech, Springwise’s library also includes examples of technology making the entire experience of menstruating less painful.  

Written By: Keely Khoury