Ghana - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Zoyapel is into the production of plants-based mosquito repellent spray and cream that provides sustained protection for it users as well as a plant-based soap that protects users against mosquito bites as an added advantage.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

Zoyapel is a Ghanaian startup that is into the production of plant-based mosquito repellent products in the forms of soap, spray and cream that provides sustained protection to users. These products are made from locally sourced raw materials that provides livelihood improvement to people especially women. The Zoyapel soap does not only repel mosquitoes but nourishes the skins of users with its plant based formulations.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Malaria is the number one killer disease in Ghana with 12500 deaths 5.2 million OPD cases and every 54 seconds, someone in Africa dies from malaria according to the 2022 world malaria report and this is very alarming. Northern Ghana has used the Bushmint to repel mosquitoes for centuries, even though effective, has not been used properly to gain the entire protective benefits that this super plant provides.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

Zoyapel spray, cream and soap provides sustained protection to users and nourushment of the skin of users. Also due to its natural nature, the products are more user friendly to users comparable to most of the products on the market currently.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Our customers are households, specifically people between the ages of 16 years to 60 years in Ghana and either middle or low income earners.

01.05 When was your company established?

2024-04-17

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

Yes

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

3

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

3

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

Vera Boye Zenenuba is the Marketing and Communications Lead. With a B-Tech in Ecological Agriculture. Vera's previous role as a People Teacher at Dan-Ibu International School enhanced her problem-solving, leadership, and teamwork skills. An active volunteer, she teaches at Divine Hands Academy and Sumbrungu Junior High School, demonstrating her dedication to education and community service. Justina Akotinwok is the Quality Assurance Lead at Zoyapel Company LTD. She holds an HND in Procurement and Logistics Management. She is the Women's Commissioner for NASPA in Builsa South, where she empowers women through entrepreneurship training. Builsa South District Assembly involved data entry, bookkeeping, and inventory management. Alice Anpan is the Finance and Logistics Lead at Zoyapel Company Limited, where she manages procurement, inventory, and financial planning.. Alice's experience includes overseeing financial aspects, optimizing distribution processes, and minimizing costs.

01.10 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link(s) here:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/101289026/admin/feed/posts/

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

d) Primary commodities (food, drink, household and personal products)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

Our production helps provide jobs to those who did not have any, provides protection to households against malaria which reduces their health related expenditures.

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

3

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

02.03.01 My startup contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

We provide products that will help households live more healthier and malaria free lives.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

3

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

5

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

As a business we engage about 70 percent of women out of the total number of people we engage as employees, co-founders and suppliers. This gives this ensures that these women are economically empowered in a very peritracheal environment.

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

2

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

2

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

We are providing good returns for Shea butter processors who were initially cheated by middle men who come around to aggregate the shea butter at cheaper prices and sell them at exorbitant prices. We also employ people from the communities where we operate as well as engage smallholders farmers as suppliers of some of our raw materials.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

7 - Strongly Agree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

Myself and my other three co-founders(all females) are being innovative at providing this solution to the problems of our society as well as putting in place the necessary that this project will need to thrive.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

3

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

3

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

5

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

We are making good use of the resources provided by nature to meet the needs of humanity.

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

2

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

2

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

6

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

with our products, we hope to reduce the usage of synthetic mosquito repellent products that has adverse impact on the environment as well as using what is seen as a weed to produce products that solve real societal problems thereby making good use of the nutrients used in producing those plants(weeds)

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

5

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

As part of our production as well as marketing strategies, we are partnering with the Center for Scientific and Industrial Research (Institute of Industrial Research) on the development of our products as and we hope to partner with the Ghana health service to expose our products to prospective customers who will greatly benefit from our products as well as reduce the burden on our meager health infrastructure.

06.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

5

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

6

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

2

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

7 - Strongly Agree

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

6

06.06 The product/service responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

5

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

06.08 Justification for my startup

Zoyapel's products are plant-based products(soap, spray and cream) that help users repel mosquitoes. There has been mosquito repellent product on the market but our products are built on age long repellent technology that has been utilized in northern Ghana especially to repel mosquitoes. The products are user friendly and we are the first to have built a soap that helps repel mosquitoes in the Ghanaian market.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

Some of the competitors of Zoyapel are Samara group, Peace Indo Ghana, Minssap ventures, Menkish Impex and the likes but our product stands out in that it is more user friendly and provides sustained protection. We also use co-creation in producing our products, where we source our raw materials(Shea butter, Citronella, Bushmint) from our prospective customers as well as taking feedback from them in other to build products that meet their needs. Once more our products can be used both indoors and outdoors unlike the products of most of our competitors who are only used indoors only.

11.05 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

Yes, three out of the 4 founders are females and we source for our products from women shea butter processors which help them grow the processing businesses.