On-demand home cleaning startup SweepSouth has stopped operations in Nigeria

Online house cleaning business SweepSouth has suspended activities in Nigeria shortly after its entry into the market, citing an unfavourable global macroeconomic environment.

Launched in 2014, the South African startup provided online on-demand home cleaning services with up to 40,000 bookings per month across its three markets – South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt and later made its entry into the Nigerian market in June 2022.

The startup had raised $11 million in its latest funding on September 2022, in which it disclosed that the funds will be used to drive its expansion and grow its infrastructure in countries where it operates.

SweepSouth, however, announced it was ceasing operations effective November 25, 2022, after operating in Nigeria for only five months, and that customers will receive full refunds for any bookings that have been paid for in advance and full refunds for Sweepcred loaded in the customers’ accounts.

"This has been a difficult decision to make considering our passion to serve the Nigerian market," the company wrote in a statement on its website. "While we will no longer be operating in Nigeria, we will continue to keep abreast of activities in the Nigerian market and work towards a potential re-entry into the market at a later date," the statement read.

SweepSouth says it would continue to provide its services in South Africa and Egypt where it has operations.