Zinacare Makes Healthcare More Accessible in Africa Through At-Home Testing Services
Co-founder Philip Mngadi forged relationships with South African laboratories while working on Covid tests. His company leveraged those connections to create lab-based tests for other health conditions — including HIV and STDs — which can be used by customers in the privacy of their homes.
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Challenge
When Philip Mngadi left his native South Africa to study in Ireland, he found many similarities between the two countries. These include the English language, nightlife, a mutual love for soccer, and — surprisingly — the food. “Ireland is a country where I can go out and get a curry and rice,” says Mngadi. However, upon returning to South Africa after studying law at University College Cork, Mngadi was struck by the absence of one service he encountered in Ireland: at-home, lab-based health tests.
South Africa has one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world, infecting 5.7 million citizens. “As a consequence of the HIV numbers we also have a lot of STD cases,” says Mngadi. Mngadi points to the troubled South African healthcare system as a barrier to widespread testing. The majority of the population relies upon a strained public health system or pays out-of-pocket for healthcare.
While in Ireland, Mngadi learned about Let’s Get Tested, a service that makes testing easy for HIV, STDs, and other health conditions through self-administered, at-home tests. However, despite South Africa’s other advances, this solution for empowering individuals with knowledge about their health was absent from the market.
Zinacare, which Mngadi launched with Lillian Keetse in 2020, is an at-home health testing service that prioritizes confidentiality, convenience, and affordability. The concept for the company is not novel, but its adaptation to Africa sets it apart. “We are prioritizing tests that are relevant to the African market,” says Mngadi, who plans to expand beyond South Africa to four other sub-Saharan countries. And unlike African competitors that only sell rapid tests created by international manufacturers, Zinacare establishes relationships with local laboratories to develop and process tests and identify testing needs specific to their country.
Origin Story
Zinacare started out in 2020 selling rapid tests, but Mngadi had his eye on something more ambitious. “I was trying to figure out how to do lab-based home testing,” he says. “While we were researching molecular testing methodologies and PCR tests, Covid happened.” The pandemic provided Zinacare an opportunity to shift their focus. They stopped selling rapid tests and established 18 physical pop-up testing stations across the country. “At that point, we were working with the leading laboratory in South Africa,” says Mngadi.
Mngadi knew that if he was going to expand beyond the territory of selling rapid tests he had to build connections with local pathologists, biologists, and laboratories. “No one was doing that, and that’s when I became more obsessed with the opportunity,” says Mngadi. Working on Covid tests provided Zinacare the introductions necessary for their next step. “Labs that we normally wouldn’t get a chance to work with before Covid were now saying ‘bring your work to us,’” says Mngadi. And that’s what they did. Their first lab-based test kit was for Covid, and soon they started expanding their menu. Currently, they offer tests for HIV, HPV, bacterial vaginosis, colon cancer, herpes, and Covid-19, with plans to expand their menu within the areas of sexual health, men’s health, women’s health, and general wellness. They also provide a mobile nurse service in which a nurse visits one’s home or workplace to conduct tests from a more expansive list, ranging from drug tests to liver tests.
Customer Experience
The customer experience is at the heart of the Zinacare service. While developing their company, Zinacare put a pause on building their menu in order to streamline the communication process with their clients. Currently, their relationship with a client begins on their website when a test is ordered. After acknowledging the order, their system helps a customer track the package; once it arrives, a pamphlet provides step-by-step instructions for self collecting so that the integrity of the sample is not compromised. A bar code in the pamphlet also directs customers to a video where customers can watch instructions on how to collect a sample from their body in the privacy of their homes. Customers are then instructed on how to coordinate pickup with UPS and track their package to the lab where it is processed. If a customer receives a negative test result, the notification is sent by email. For a positive test result, the chat team sets up a consultation with a Zinacare doctor at no additional cost. The doctor delivers the results before furnishing a copy of the medical report with further explanation.
Moving Forward
In the past 36 months, Zinacare has done 20,000 tests, averaging around 6,000 per year. As they continue establishing their presence in South Africa, they are preparing to launch in other African countries. “What’s unique about us is that we are the first to do at-home lab testing on the African continent, and currently we are probably the only ones with noteworthy traction,” says Mngadi. The company has targeted four of the biggest economies in Africa for their next stage of development: Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania. “The healthcare markets are very similar,” says Mngadi, who has people on his team with experience working with these countries. Soon they plan to introduce their service to Kenya, where they’ve already established a partnership with a lab and ironed out logistics.
In addition to expanding their menu of tests, Zinacare also hopes to create a subscription model where customers pay a modest fee — around $14 a month — in exchange for a different test each month. “We see it as sort of an insurance,” says Mngadi, who also hopes that a subscription service could yield more consistent income and improve customer retention.
Our Take
Zinacare is poised to make an impact on healthcare accessibility in developing African markets. Barriers to healthcare are only accelerating the HIV epidemic in their region, and Zinacare is one solution that helps remove barriers. The company identified a lack of confidentiality as a leading reason that their target market does not get tested. Their private and confidential service is a helpful alternative to those that might feel vulnerable or reluctant to get tested for an STD or HIV. With more people aware of their health status, these diseases are less likely to spread. These tests and their other services also provide convenience and ease, encouraging more people to gain knowledge about their health.
With an eye toward keeping their services affordable, Zinacare is also committed to lowering financial barriers. “This is not just for people with extra money in the bank, but we try to build products that service everyone,” says Mngadi. Zinacare is an African-led business with on-the-ground knowledge of their community’s healthcare needs, which StartUp Health is proud to stand behind as they help shape a new future in the healthcare landscape of Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Published: Sep 21, 2023