In Mombasa, amidst the beaches of Nairobi, the world’s first startup focused on producing portable, recycled, and eco-friendly freezers was established. The idea for this revolutionary venture was sparked by the significant amount of plastic waste littering the popular tourist beach.
The ingenious idea was conceived in 2020 by a young local entrepreneur named Purity Gakuo, who leads a small yet industrious team of women. Their simple yet effective concept aims to create employment and growth opportunities for the local economy, which largely relies on tourism and fishing. Moreover, their initiative also contributes to the betterment of the environment. As such, every morning, it is common to see numerous dedicated local women collecting plastic waste from the beaches of Nairobi, Kenya’s second-largest city, as reported by the AfricaNews website.
The collected plastic waste is then purchased by Kuza Freezer, who repurposes it into pellets.
These pellets are further reshaped into panels and cold rooms of varying sizes, with a preference for smaller sizes to increase the freezer’s versatility and portability. This innovative process allows plastic bottles to be transformed into freezers that are in high demand amongst local fish sellers and food vendors. Each freezer is equipped with a battery that can be powered by a solar panel, allowing it to operate for 7 hours. As Purity Gakuo, the founder and CEO of Kuza Freeza, explained, “Our goal is to provide cold storage solutions to small businesses in the seafood value chain, enabling them to sustainably improve their income and perhaps reduce the inevitable losses of caught product.”
The idea was registered, along with the brand, in 2021. Today, Kuza employs about twenty people and collaborates with several local partners. In just three years, the company has delivered over 350 mini portable freezers to its customers, which include fish traders, poultry sellers, and mobile bartenders.
The 25-year-old Purity highlights that the key selling point of the freezer (priced at approximately 650 euros) is its adaptability. It can easily be loaded onto a small fishing boat, installed in a kiosk, or mounted on a scooter for food deliveries.
Each freezer is also fitted with a tracking device, allowing for prompt identification of any units needing repair. Kuza also prides itself on its excellent customer service and handles all necessary repairs.
In recognition of her innovative efforts, Purity Gakuo was named “Young Global Entrepreneur of the Year” by Youth Business International in 2022. In the same year, she made it to the prestigious list of top 40 entrepreneurs under 40.
“We are incredibly honored by the impact that this innovation is creating”, expresses the CEO on the company’s Facebook page, where one can follow all the achievements of the startup in its short 2-year lifespan. Purity Gakuo is set to introduce Kuza to the Indian continent at the esteemed SolarX Startup Challenge in Delhi, a journey that she describes as “incredible”.