Wanzy Launches Digital Marketplace for Botswana Consumers

Botswana startup Wanzy has officially launched its digital marketplace, giving consumers a single platform to order food, groceries, pharmacy products and other everyday essentials from local businesses.

The launch took place on 23 September 2026 at the Botswana Digital and Innovation Hub (BDIH) in Gaborone. BDIH, which supported Wanzy through its incubation ecosystem, described the company as a Botswana-built solution connecting consumers with restaurants, pharmacies, grocery stores and other retailers.

Founded by Again Oabile and Tshiamo Kolanyane, Wanzy was developed around a straightforward problem: customers had to deal with different businesses and platforms to find products and arrange deliveries, while smaller local businesses had limited digital reach. Oabile said the company spent its early period onboarding businesses, testing the model and refining its offering based on customer feedback.

From Pilot to Full Launch

Wanzy is operated by Nexus Innovations Proprietary Limited, a Botswana-registered company. Its platform allows customers to search for nearby businesses, browse products, place orders and track deliveries in real time. Customers can pay using cash, cards or the Wanzy wallet.

The marketplace covers restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies and other retailers, while its delivery network gives riders access to work through the platform. Businesses can also use Wanzy to manage orders and reach customers beyond their existing physical locations.

Wanzy is not starting from zero. In a recent account of the company's development, Oabile said the startup generated more than P2 million in gross merchandise value over 12 months. He said the company had to convince businesses to join before it had significant traction, with early adopters helping Wanzy test its operations and improve the service.

Building a Local Digital Commerce Platform

The startup's launch comes after an earlier pilot and development period. Wanzy's mobile applications have been available before the September launch, with the company's current platform expanding beyond its original focus on restaurant deliveries. Its iPhone application supports restaurant discovery, menus, checkout, delivery scheduling, multiple payment options and real-time order tracking.

BDIH's role has been to support Wanzy's progression from an incubated idea into a commercial product. The hub said the startup demonstrates how locally developed technology can address everyday consumer and business needs in Botswana. the next phase will be about growing its merchant network, increasing customer adoption and improving its delivery infrastructure. Oabile said the company is still learning from its operations as it works to build a platform that can grow beyond its initial market.

With the full launch now underway, Wanzy is setting itself as a homegrown digital commerce and delivery platform, connecting Botswana's consumers, retailers and independent delivery drivers through one marketplace.