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Kilakitu: Transforming Burundi's Shopping Experience with IoT
Technology Category
- Analytics & Modeling - Computer Vision Software
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Industries
- E-Commerce
- Transportation
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Procurement
Use Cases
- Last Mile Delivery
Services
- Training
The Challenge
Kilakitu, the first online marketplace platform in Burundi, was established with the vision of transforming the shopping preferences of the people in the East African nation. The founder, who had experienced the convenience of online shopping in developed countries like the US and India, wanted to introduce the same experience to the people of Burundi. However, the challenge was that Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with around 50% of the population lacking access to a smartphone. This made identifying the target market audience a huge task, causing most e-commerce startups not to be financially viable. Furthermore, less than 5% of the population were online shoppers due to a lack of know-how to use e-commerce platforms.
About The Customer
Kilakitu's customers are the people of Burundi, a country where e-commerce is still very new. The customers are not used to paying upfront for any product until they have their hands on it. Also, the sellers in the country have a mental block for exposing their products and prices to the competition, so they are initially unwilling to come onboard an e-commerce platform. However, Kilakitu's unique selling proposition of cheaper prices and home delivery, coupled with their cash on delivery model, has helped to build trust with their customers and sellers.
The Solution
To overcome these challenges, Kilakitu adopted a two-pronged approach. Firstly, they embarked on a rigorous campaign to educate the population about the value of their platform and how to utilize it. This was done through digital marketing and physical campaigns. Secondly, they chose YoKart as their e-commerce solution. YoKart is a complete solution for any e-commerce startup that provides most of the functionalities required to get started. However, due to the location of the business operations, a few additional integrations were required, such as local payment plugins, delivery tracker, messaging plugin and a few more. These were all provided and assisted to be incorporated by the YoKart team itself which facilitated the whole startup process.
Operational Impact
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