Ramani is a Tanzania-based supply chain management software company that provides financial services for consumer goods brands and their resellers. Ramani supplies point-of-sale, inventory management, and procurement software for micro-distribution centers—connecting an ecosystem of brands, distribution centers, and merchants through their proprietary supply chain management software.
Founded in 2019, Ramani’s software equips leaders with comprehensive and real-time data to inform decision making, drive growth, and improve operational efficiency. Ramani focuses on consumer packaged goods brands that have the scale to accommodate Ramani’s financing requirement of at least $200,000 per month.
Tech-empowered supply chains are fueling Africa’s growth
Today, Africa’s supply chains face inefficiencies due to a lack of data transparency and access to financial services. Small- and medium-sized businesses require more support with supply chain finance, which bridges the payment time gap between buyers and sellers. The value of Africa’s supply chain finance market rose by 40% between 2021 to 2022 to reach $41 billion1, but there are still greater opportunities for brands to build their business on the continent. Africa has one of the youngest and fastest-growing population and is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050 – this population boom has the potential to unlock over $3 trillion in consumer spending2.
Ramani is addressing supply chain inefficiencies in Africa with supply chain management software and inventory financing. They are working with globally recognized consumer brands (including Coca-Cola) that sell goods in fast-moving categories such as soda and beer. Ramani plans to use financing raised on Percent to focus on growing their portfolio in Tanzania.
Ramani unifies and scales stakeholders across the supply chain
Brand-sponsored and established distributors with relationships with globally or nationally recognized brands can employ Ramani solutions from procurement through inventory and end-user sales. A digital storefront is used to collect and manage product orders from point of sale to the micro-distribution center. Web dashboards and mobile apps also provide access to sales, inventory, and customer information.
Advanced data from point of sale to warehouse allows Ramani to monitor daily sales performance. They can track distributor performance to assess the distributor’s ability to sell what they’ve been offered. Micro distributors pay Ramani principal and interest on a monthly basis.
Ramani’s focus on fast-moving consumer goods, such as beverages, aligns with the short-duration nature of their loan on Percent. With large, reputable brands such as Coca Cola, Ramani has a strong pipeline of quality products and can support their timely delivery to consumers in Tanzania.
Ramani and Percent – building better systems
With Percent, Ramani can raise capital to help maintain the growth trajectory of their Tanzania portfolio and help engineer a modern financial infrastructure for Africa’s supply chains.
Percent’s investors gain access to more geographically diverse investments and the option to broaden their portfolio to include exposure to one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies with a population of more than 61 million. The partnership is well timed, especially as Tanzania aims to reach middle-income status defined by the World Bank by 20253.
1“Africa’s rise as a global supply chain force: UNCTAD report,” United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. August 16, 2023.
2“Aiming for growth in Africa,” a report by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). July 7, 2023.
3“Tanzania Economic Update: What Will It Take for Tanzania to Become a Successful Middle Income Country?”, The World Bank, March 2021