Grace Ashiru
Badili Africa, a buyback marketplace for old phones based in Kenya, has acquired $2.1 million in pre-seed capital to expand its operations in Africa, one of the world’s fastest-growing mobile phone markets.
Rishabh Lawania and Keshu Dubey started Badili in March 2022. They buy used phones and sell refurbished smartphones that are “as good as new, for half the price” and have a 12-month warranty.
Badili has grown to more than 37 cities and towns in Kenya and makes about $2 million a year. It already has about 270 partner stores, 120 “Hustler” stores, and two stores selling only Badili products.
Badili also does trade-ins and buybacks for significant OEMs and phone dealers. He claims to have partnerships in Kenya with all major smartphone makers and telcos, including Apple and Samsung.
From 2022 to 2027, the market for refurbished smartphones is expected to grow at an annual rate of 10.23%, according to data from Statista. In 2020, the demand for used phones in Sub-Saharan Africa was estimated to be more than 90 million.
Badili intends to use this money to explore new growth potential in West Africa. It aims to capitalise on the rising demand for affordable second-hand smartphones while expanding its operations in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
