The Challenge: Diversifying a development team beyond China
In the spring of 2019, rb2 — a Dutch web agency and two-time winner of emerce Digital Agency of the Year — was looking to diversify their developer team beyond their existing network in China. While China offers brilliant developers, significant language and time zone barriers exist. A second team in Africa could alleviate those barriers and offer a separate proposition to clients.
Mark van der Ploeg, COO of rb2, had a personal connection to Africa from his time in Kenya, which drove genuine commitment to making the partnership work rather than treating it as a typical outsourcing inquiry.
The Solution: An African development centre built on trust
From the first meeting, it was clear that rb2 shared Tunga's values. By August 2019, the first three developers joined the rb2 team. Tunga's leadership made reconnaissance visits to Lagos to establish the office and ensure quality from day one. The centre expanded with offices in both Lagos, Nigeria and Kampala, Uganda.
The two companies — both entrepreneurial, both committed to understanding each other — continued to grow the team and the relationship. During the COVID pandemic, while operations were limited in China, the African team remained stable. Over time, the team grew from 3 developers to 17 developers and QA specialists.
The Result: From client and vendor to joint venture partners
The relationship evolved from a client-vendor arrangement into a full Joint Venture — a testament to the mutual respect, shared vision, and the close-knit partnership built over five years. rb2 became the number one e-commerce solutions provider in the Netherlands, with the African team playing a key role in that growth.
