Rabat – Moroccan startup Woliz has won the SUPERNOVA FinTech & Blockchain prize at the fourth edition of GITEX Africa Morocco 2026, which took place from April 7 to 9 in Marrakech.
Woliz is a digital ecosystem focused on improving commerce in local neighborhoods across Africa. The company connects small shops with brands, telecom operators, consumers, and financial institutions in one platform.
The SUPERNOVA award is one of the main startup competitions at the event, said Woliz in a statement. It recognizes startups that show strong innovation, the ability to scale, and real market impact.
Woliz focuses on improving “nanostores,” small neighborhood shops that are widely used across Africa. The continent is home to 12 million nanostores, including around 220,000 in Morocco. For many people, these shops are the main way to buy daily goods.
However, most transactions in these stores are not recorded digitally. This means an absence of data for businesses, no credit history for shop owners, and limited access to financial services.
Woliz says it aims to change this by building a digital system that connects nanostores, brands, telecom operators, consumers, and financial institutions in one network. The platform includes payment tools, business management services, loyalty programs, and financial services directly at the point of sale.
“Millions of transactions pass through nanostores every day without leaving a trace. We are building the infrastructure that makes these transactions visible, these businesses financeable, and this market investable,” said Kamal El Hardouzi, CEO and co-founder of Woliz.
He added that the goal is not to replace small shops but to strengthen them and integrate them into the digital economy.
The SUPERNOVA Challenge is considered the most important startup competition in Africa. Past winners have raised significant funding and gained international investor attention, concluded the startup.
This year’s edition brought together hundreds of startups from more than 100 countries, making GITEX Africa one of the largest tech platforms on the continent.