Twiga Foods Expands Deeper into FMCG with Acquisition of Kibanda Topup
Kenyan agri-tech company Twiga Foods has acquired Kibanda Topup, a B2B e-commerce platform that supplies food and essential products to small restaurants, solidifying its footprint in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
The acquisition marks a strategic move for Twiga as it extends beyond fresh produce to cover a wider array of everyday consumer goods. Twiga, founded in 2014, initially focused on bridging supply chain inefficiencies between farmers and vendors. Over time, the company has evolved to offer last-mile distribution of both fresh produce and FMCG products to retailers across Kenya.
Kibanda Topup, launched in 2021, has carved a niche by supplying over 800 small and medium-sized restaurants and food vendors in Nairobi with daily-use food items. The startup’s hybrid model, which combines technology and traditional distribution, has allowed it to build a loyal customer base among Kenya’s informal food service sector. Twiga will now integrate Kibanda Topup’s operations into its own infrastructure to expand market reach and streamline logistics and delivery capabilities.
Industry analysts view this acquisition as a sign of intensifying competition in Kenya’s FMCG distribution landscape, particularly in serving the informal retail and food service ecosystem, which accounts for a significant portion of consumer spend. By acquiring Kibanda Topup, Twiga gains greater traction in the HoReCa (Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering) channel—a critical growth segment for FMCG brands looking to penetrate last-mile distribution in sub-Saharan Africa.
The transaction also underscores a growing trend in Africa’s FMCG market: the convergence of agri-tech platforms and B2B commerce networks to deliver more consistent, predictable access to essential goods for micro and small businesses. Twiga’s operational scale and logistics infrastructure—built to serve over 140,000 retailers and vendors—will potentially accelerate Kibanda Topup’s expansion while offering FMCG brands an even wider reach.
As informal food services continue to drive urban demand, this acquisition positions Twiga Foods as a major conduit for FMCG distribution across Kenya’s evolving retail ecosystem.