Chowdeck, a fast-growing Nigerian food delivery platform backed by Y Combinator, is considering expanding into South Africa, Kenya, and Ivory Coast. This could position the company in more mature markets, as it seeks to scale its operations beyond Nigeria.
“We are still figuring things out, but we are looking at these countries because they have a mature market. Especially South Africa,” said Kennedy Offor, Chowdeck’s sales lead, during an interview at TechCabal’s Moonshot event on Thursday.
Chowdeck’s interest in these regions puts it in direct competition with established players. In South Africa, the likes of Mr D Food, Uber Eats, and Zulzi dominate. In Kenya, it would compete with Glovo and Bolt Food. Similarly, Côte d’Ivoire has Uber Eats and Glovo.
Despite the competitive landscape, Chowdeck has reasons to be optimistic. The platform recently hit one million registered users, with about 40,000 daily deliveries, 70% of which come from Lagos. This strong foothold in Nigeria’s commercial capital could provide valuable insights for expanding into new territories.
While expanding internationally remains on the horizon, Chowdeck continues growing its home restaurant network. The company has been actively supporting restaurant partners by helping them open new outlets in areas with high demand. “By opening outlets closer to places where the data shows frequent orders come, we are ensuring that food gets to people faster and at a more affordable rate,” Offor explained.
Partnerships with quick-service restaurant chains have also played a key role in Chowdeck’s growth strategy. In August 2024, the company signed an exclusive deal with Chicken Republic, one of Nigeria’s largest fast-food chains, to help distribute its new food products and assist in expanding to new states.
“We figure out ways to help them grow as much as we can, whether it’s a quick delivery, whether it’s the amount of data we’re able to give them in terms of where orders are coming and whatnot,” he said.
Offor believes that nurturing strong relationships with restaurant partners will be crucial to the company’s continued growth.
As Chowdeck explores expansion into new territories, its proven operating model will likely guide its success, wherever its next steps lead.
