Healthcare in Francophone Africa faces significant challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, insufficient funding, and a shortage of medical professionals. According to a recent paper by Research Gate, sub-Saharan Africa bears 24% of the global disease burden but has only 3% of the world’s health workers. This situation is heightened by high out-of-pocket costs for healthcare, making access difficult for many families. To address these challenges, Bola Bardet launched Susu, a healthcare platform that connects Africans in the diaspora to their families on the continent.
Through telemedicine, healthcare financing, and partnerships with local providers, Susu allows African immigrants to fund healthcare for their loved ones, ensuring they receive timely and quality care. Susu is transforming healthcare access in countries like Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, bridging the gap between the diaspora and healthcare needs back home.
Bola Bardet’s epiphany
While pursuing her MBA in Paris, Bola Bardet faced a personal crisis that would change her life forever. Her father, battling heart disease thousands of miles away in Benin, was unable to receive the medical care he desperately needed. Although his condition was manageable, the healthcare system in West Africa failed him. Bola, helpless from afar, could do little but hope and pray. Tragically, her father passed away, leaving her heartbroken and haunted by the thought that his death could have been prevented.
In the wake of this painful loss, Bola couldn’t escape the “if onlys.” If only her father had access to better healthcare. If only there were a way for her to have helped him from a distance. These thoughts drove her to turn her grief into a mission, sparking the idea of Susu, a platform that would bridge the healthcare gap for families across Africa. Determined to prevent others from experiencing the same heartache, Bola set out to make quality healthcare accessible, regardless of location.
Susu, Bardet’s new approach to healthcare access in francophone Africa
In 2019, Bola Bardet founded Susu. The startup is named after the traditional African concept of community-driven financial support. Susu’s goal is simple yet profound: to make it easier for Africans in the diaspora to fund healthcare for their loved ones back home. By combining telemedicine, healthcare financing, and strategic partnerships with local healthcare providers, Susu allows users to enrol their families in health plans that give them access to hospitals, doctors, and specialists across Africa.
Susu operates in key countries like Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, France, and Gabon, providing a lifeline for people in remote areas where medical care is often inaccessible. Telemedicine services allow patients to consult with doctors remotely, eliminating the need for long-distance travel to receive critical diagnoses and treatment plans. This ensures that even individuals in rural or underserved areas can receive timely medical attention.
The startup also addresses the financial burden of healthcare by working with insurance companies and healthcare providers. This enables Africans in the diaspora to directly cover medical expenses for their loved ones, ensuring that access to quality healthcare is not limited by geography or financial constraints. As a result, African immigrants can have peace of mind, knowing that their families back home are receiving the care they deserve.
“Africans abroad send $20 billion annually to finance their loved ones’ healthcare. However, they mostly can’t track whether these resources are actually used for healthcare purposes. We want to help ensure that,” Bola Bardet said at the Africa’s Business Heroes 2023 semifinals.
So far, Susu has secured $7.3 million in total funding across eight rounds. According to Crunchbase, its latest funding round, classified as a Venture – Series Unknown, was completed on December 14, 2023.
Bola Bardet moves to transform healthcare for thousands
Since its launch, Susu has experienced impressive growth, expanding its reach and impact. By 2023, the company, headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, had created 28,000 accounts and generated $1.4 million in annual recurring revenue. Thousands of African families now rely on Susu to provide safe and reliable healthcare for their loved ones. As Bola proudly shares, “We’ve connected over 10,000 families to quality healthcare in just the past few years, ensuring that access to medical care is no longer a privilege tied to location.”
Beyond entrepreneurship, Bola Bardet’s journey is a testament to the power of turning personal pain into purpose. Her work with Susu has transformed how healthcare is delivered and financed for many African families, proving that impactful solutions often emerge from deeply personal experiences.
Born in Benin, Bola Bardet holds impressive qualifications, including an Executive MBA from HEC Paris, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification, and a Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Babson College, San Francisco. She also studied Innovation and Social Business at the University of Cape Town, where entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds inspired her. In 2023, Bola was recognized as one of the Top 10 Heroes of the Africa Business Heroes (ABH), a testament to her dedication to reshaping African healthcare.
Additional reporting by Ishioma Imokhai-Bello
