Geoffrey Mulei, a young Kenyan entrepreneur aged 21 has developed an online platform that will make it easier to run a shop by allowing shop owners order and manage their inventories. Tanda, the new app, was launched after a four-month pilot with 200 kiosks spread across Kayole, Kawangware and Kariobangi.
Through the online app, businessmen/women can easily record all their sales allowing them to know how much they’re stocking from anywhere and at any given time. Once they are almost out of a product, it alerts them and prompts them to reorder.
The platform connects the retailer with a network of suppliers, allowing the shop owner to get any good delivered to their outlet as fast as possible.
The new app is also set to offer credit services as well as digital financial services.
“Leveraging historical purchasing data, Tanda allows retailers to order goods on credit and pay later. We shall also incorporate Tanda Wallet which will turns a kiosk into a one stop shop for popular digital financial services. Customers will be able buy airtime, pay their water and electricity bill and access banking and insurance services at a Tanda Agent,” says Mulei.
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“Our primary market, Kenya, has over 100,000 semi-formal outlets. Our platform will accommodate shop owners across all segments right from informal kiosks in low income kiosks up to mini-marts,” he adds.
The service is free for retailers and it only draws a commission from its network of suppliers on every good ordered by retailers. Tanda’s pilot merchants received a free smartphone to get started. Post pilot, Tanda has partnered with micro-lending firm Lipa Later to get kiosk owners a smartphone that they can pay for overtime for up to two years. Tanda’s primary target is existing retailers with fully operational semi-formal retail outlets.
Tanda is backed by White Rhino Ventures and also works with On Demand Mobile, Google MB, Pesapoint, Surf and Ddaas as its partners.
Tanda was inspired by the need to solve some of the most recurring inventory problems faced by micro-retailers. The founder, Geoffrey Mulei, spent most of his childhood helping out at a kiosk. He got a front row seat to some of the challenges micro-retailers face when sourcing for inventory and running their business. Stemming from his passion for solving problems and technology, Mulei set out to design a solution that could make it easier to run a kiosk, using his experience in running a shop as a reference.
Prior to Tanda, Mulei started his first company, Inkisha, dealing in environmentally friendly packaging, where he led a three year campaign to phase out plastic packaging in Kenya, earning him several major local and international awards. Recently, he was named one of the top 40 under 40 entrepreneurs in Kenya.
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