Ten years ago, what began as a simple idea during maternity leave has grown into one of Africa's leading health-tech companies, helping hundreds of thousands of people access healthcare products more conveniently and privately. Founded in Rwanda in 2016, Kasha was born out of founder and CEO Joanna Bichsel's belief that there had to be a better way for people, particularly women, to obtain the health products they need. As the company marked its 10th anniversary on June 5, Bichsel reflected on a journey shaped by innovation, resilience, and a commitment to improving healthcare access across the continent. “Kasha is named after my daughter, and it was when I was on maternity leave that the business model really came together. I believed there was a better way for people to consistently get the health products they need,” she said. ALSO READ: RSSB partners with KASHA to enable digital access to medicines for RAMA members Before launching Kasha, Bichsel had worked in both technology and health supply chains in several countries. Through that experience, she observed persistent challenges in how healthcare products reached consumers, particularly women and people living in rural communities. She recalled that purchasing certain health products often lacked privacy, with customers having to request sensitive items at pharmacy counters in full view of others. “If it's something like paracetamol, that's fine. But if it's something more private, it can be a difficult experience. The challenge is often more pronounced in rural communities, where residents know one another and seeking certain products can be accompanied by stigma or embarrassment,” she said. Those experiences helped shape Kasha's mission of providing a discreet, accessible and affordable way for people to access healthcare products through digital platforms and delivery services. Kasha eventually became the first registered Online Pharmacy in Rwanda. Although the company started primarily as a direct-to-consumer business focusing on women's health products, Kasha has expanded its services offerings and is now one of the largest digital wholesale pharmaceutical and fast moving consumer goods businesses in the country, as well as across Africa. Speaking on the evolution of the business, Bichsel says: “Our customers were asking us if they can get health products for their families and other household goods, so we just start adding the products they asked for. Boutiques then started purchasing from us, first at retail prices, so we opened up our wholesale business and that really accelerated the business growth.” Kasha’s services have expanded over the years to include a broader range of products and services, such as oil, rice and more, as well as pharmaceuticals, with a nation-wide delivery network and stock points around the country. With its logistics network reaching all 30 districts in the country, in 2025 Kasha started delivering public health products for Rwanda Medical Supply Ltd. (RMS), first to Health Posts but now also to Health Centres and Hospitals around the country. This year 2026, Kasha signed an agreement with RSSB to enable ecommerce for RAMA members. “RAMA members can order their prescribed health products via KASHA care App, WhatsApp ( 250 780 440 522), by dialling *911#, or through a toll-free line 9111, and Kasha will deliver to their home, conveniently and confidentially.” ALSO READ: What you should know about Kasha’s emerging online pharmacy Scaling from Rwanda to nine African countries Today, Kasha has delivered over 140 million products and reached over 19 million people with products, information and services in nine African countries including Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, Burundi and Egypt. Its growth reflects a broader vision that existed from the beginning, according to Bichsel. “I always wanted Kasha to become a global company, with the goal of improving the way people got the health products they need, anywhere they live.” Bichsel described the past decade as a continuous cycle of challenges and achievements. “It's been continuous challenges but also wins, there's no smooth ride. Among the early hurdles was navigating a regulatory environment where online pharmacies did not yet exist as a recognised business category,” she said. Kasha became the first company in Rwanda to obtain an online pharmacy licence, helping shape the framework that would later be used to regulate the sector. “Fundraising also proved difficult in the company's early years. Despite eventually raising the most venture capital of any Rwanda-based startup in history, securing investment required persistence and patience,” Bichsel said. “The company also faced challenges familiar to many growing businesses, from inventory constraints and customer demand to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.” Bichsel credits Kasha's strong and determined team with helping the company navigate those difficulties while continuing to grow and expand. An employee's perspective on Kasha's growth Yvette Mushimiyimana, who joined Kasha in 2016 as a call centre agent, recalls a time when the company was still relatively small, with a handful of employees working to deliver products to customers who were often unfamiliar with the platform. “At the time, many people did not fully understand how the service worked. Instead of placing orders remotely, some customers would come directly to the company's offices seeking assistance,” she said. Despite the challenges and misunderstandings, Mushimiyimana observed, the company continued to expand its reach, gradually serving more communities and attracting a growing customer base. She also commended personal impact achieved from working with the company. “Kasha has truly changed my life, when I joined, my skills were still developing. I typed very slowly, yet we were receiving a large volume of orders every day. I was handling customer calls, processing orders, and making follow-up calls to coordinate deliveries, all at the same time.” Looking back, she said the demanding early years helped shape both her professional growth and the company's success. “It was a lot of hard work, but I'm proud of how far we've come. Today, Kasha serves thousands of people every month, and it is rewarding to know that I have been part of that journey, and I know the future is better than what we have experienced,” Mushimiyimana said. Eyeing unicorn status and a global future According to Bichsel, the company aims to further simplify access to health products and make home delivery more affordable and convenient while expanding its reach across emerging markets with technology-enabled wholesale, retail and logistics services. The CEO also hopes Kasha will continue to serve as an example of innovation that can be built in Rwanda, and expand globally. “Kasha is one of Rwanda's success stories that became a global company. I believe Rwanda's business environment played a significant role in enabling the company's growth and expansion,” she said. Africa has not yet seen a HealthTech Unicorn, which is a privately held startup valued at more than $1 billion. As one of the largest HealthTech companies across Africa, Bichsel remains excited about Kasha’s continuing high growth. For aspiring entrepreneurs, her advice is to stay focused and keep going. “Sometimes entrepreneurs try to start multiple companies at the same time, but you need to focus and go all in on the one thing you really believe in, giving it everything you've got. Most important is to adjust quickly to market feedback and always stay in the game. As soon as you give up, the opportunity is lost. Focus and determination are the most important to seeing success.”
