In 2013, Tracey Turner and Jonathan Lewis embarked on an ambitious venture to revolutionize e-commerce in Kenya. Their brainchild, Copia Global, aimed to bridge the digital divide by bringing household essentials to rural and peri-urban areas. For over a decade, the company served as a lifeline for many Kenyans, providing access to everyday items like sugar, cooking oil, and toiletries through an innovative digital platform.
Copias model was unique. It leveraged technology to reach underserved communities, allowing customers in remote areas to order goods they might otherwise struggle to access. The companys approach seemed promising, attracting significant investor interest and growing its operations substantially over the years.
However, the challenging economic landscape of recent times began to take its toll. By June 2024, Copia found itself in a precarious financial situation. The company initiated talks with potential investors in a bid to secure fresh funding and keep its operations afloat. Despite these efforts, the negotiations proved unsuccessful, leaving Copia in an increasingly dire position.
The situation reached a critical point in May 2024 when Copia, unable to meet its payroll obligations, appointed administrators Makenzi Muthusi and Julius Ngonga from KPMG. This move was a last-ditch effort to salvage the business and explore potential avenues for revival.
In a bid to reduce overhead costs and buy time for a potential turnaround, Copia made the difficult decision to lay off 1,060 employees in June 2024. The company hoped that by streamlining its operations, it could weather the storm until new funding materialized. Unfortunately, this strategy did not yield the desired results.
