Audrey Djiya, a Stanford MBA graduate and seasoned entrepreneur, has long been driven by her belief that African brands are poised to dominate the global creative industry. With a background that includes roles in product leadership at Nigerian fintech companies Duplo and Carbon, and experience in consulting and tech with Peloton, Zola.com, and Deloitte, Audrey’s career has been a testament to her commitment to supporting the growth of African businesses.
Audrey excitedly announced the launch of her latest venture, Zimi in a LinkedIn post. Co-founded with Peter N., Zimi aims to revolutionize the way African exporters do business. The startup is designed to provide Amazon Prime-like fulfillment services, making it easier, faster, and cheaper for African businesses to sell their goods internationally.
Every year, millions of businesses across Africa export goods worth $600 billion, a figure expected to exceed $1 trillion by 2035. However, the high cost of global shipping—sometimes exceeding 100% of an order’s value—poses a significant barrier. Zimi addresses this challenge by helping companies store inventory globally and fulfill orders directly. This innovative approach enables African merchants to cut logistics costs by up to 80% and deliver goods to buyers more efficiently.
With one in every five working-age individuals in Africa running a business, the impact of Zimi could be transformative. Similar to how Amazon revolutionized logistics for online book sales and eventually a wide array of products, Zimi aims to transform logistics for African businesses. Audrey’s vision for Zimi is to enable these businesses to compete more effectively on the global stage.
Audrey’s work has already garnered support from key figures like Mbwana Alliy from Savannah Fund, who has been an early believer in Zimi’s mission. As Zimi continues to grow, Audrey remains dedicated to driving the success of African brands in the international market.