To scale across many markets like Gozem has, you need to centralise your operations and automate all processes, according to Gennate Hassad, the global head of financing at Gozem.
Gozem penetrated the Francophone Africa market in 2018 and 2019 through Togo and Benin, and is now a leading delivery and ride-hailing service across francophone African countries. The company has expanded to Gabon and Cameroon. Earlier this year, they raised $30 million to drive expansion, and recently received approval to launch in Congo.
In a Moonshot 2025 panel session with Osarumen Osamuyi, founder of The Subtext, Hassad noted three things companies ought to understand when they’re looking to expand. “Make sure that you confirm [the] traction for your products and your offer in your first market,” she said. “So we did not launch all of them [the market operations] at the same time. We launched them sequentially. We started with Togo, and when we felt comfortable with our products, our tech, our operations, we addressed other markets.”
While expanding, Hassad also emphasised the importance of building replicability and reproducing productive practices when scaling across markets. While the formula might not be the same for all markets, she explained that having replicable parts of a market expansion strategy is crucial.
“We were much more efficient in opening Congo than we were when we opened the [Benin] market,” she said. “And this was learned through experience, through building this replicability, centralising some functions and automating some of the processes in order to make it smoother.”
In addition to replicability, adaptability is another contributor to successful expansion across markets. Hassad added that having local context is important for adaptability. For Gozem, 80-90% of the strategy is written down (fixed), and the other 10-20% of the strategy is built for flexibility. “We launched [in] Gabon after Benin and Togo, and we tried to replicate the same race, the same strategy for transport, addressing the mass market pricing strategy,” she said. “We realised after two months that the market was completely different. The user needs were different. They were expecting a more premium offer, which was not that important in other markets.”
In response to this feedback, Gozem adjusted the pricing, quality of service, and the type of vehicles that the platform used in Gabon. A clear and constant feedback loop will allow for seamless adaptability during expansion.
Hassad also noted having key areas of consideration when expanding. “We know that we want to invest in what we call tier two markets that are not very competitive. We are looking for some regional integration, so you see from the countries that we have operations in that it is a form of integration between these countries in terms of regulation of currency and systems.”
It is possible for a business to actually launch a market, Hassad said, in closing. Gozem’s expansion strategy was something the company learned along the way, she noted, adding that expanding into new markets was really within reach for businesses wanting to expand.
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