Zando — building food market transparency in the Republic of Congo
Our story
Zando was born from a simple observation: in the Republic of Congo, agricultural prices are opaque. A farmer sells without knowing what their harvest is really worth. A wholesaler buys without being able to compare. An institution publishes statistics that don't reflect the reality of neighborhood markets. And households face price fluctuations they cannot anticipate.
This information asymmetry is not inevitable. It is a data infrastructure problem. And that is exactly what Zando is building: the information infrastructure missing from the Congolese food supply chain.
Our mission
Make agricultural prices transparent, verified, and accessible to all actors in the food supply chain in the Republic of Congo.
A transparent market is a fairer market. A farmer who knows market prices negotiates better. A wholesaler who anticipates trends buys at the right time. An institution with reliable data makes better food policy decisions.
What we are building
Zando develops an agricultural market intelligence SaaS platform built around three pillars: real-time price collection and distribution, a B2B marketplace to connect sellers and buyers, and an analytics module for institutions and decision-makers.
Our starting point: the markets of Brazzaville, beginning with the Total Bacongo market, the main food hub of the Congolese capital. Our ambition: to cover all significant markets in the Republic of Congo, then across Central Africa.
Our approach
Field-first
Our data comes from trained agents present at markets, not from estimates or models.
Systematic double verification
Every price is verified by a second independent agent before publication.
Full transparency
Our methodology is public and every data point is timestamped and traceable.
Context-adapted technology
Our collection protocol works via WhatsApp, accessible even with limited connectivity.
Partnership over competition
We work in complementarity with existing institutions, not against them.
Our values
Reliability
A published data point is a verified data point.
Accessibility
Price information must be available to everyone, not only large operators.
Transparency
Our methodology, sources, and limitations are public.
Local impact
We invest in Congolese field agents and build local skills.
Our partners & supporters
Zando collaborates with organizations active in food security, agritech, and economic development in Central Africa. We are open to new partnerships with institutions, NGOs, investors, and actors in the Congolese agricultural ecosystem.
Join us
Zando is recruiting collection agents at markets in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire. If you are present at a market and want to join our network, contact us.
We are also open to institutional partnership, investment, and technical collaboration opportunities.