Source: Sakwa Kombo/Techweez
AfriKonekta is a digital bus booking platform. Passengers are able to book intercity bus tickets on the online platform.
The company promises affordable fares with ticket prices as low as $1 or about Ksh 148 (today’s exchange rate). Primarily, AfriKonekta targets long-distance bus operators with routes from Nairobi to other towns and vice versa.
Currently, AfriKonekta is covering over 37 destinations (Mombasa, Moyale, Nakuru, Malindi, Busia, Sori, Bungoma, Butere, Siaya, Homabay, Kapenguria, L. Turkana, Bondo, Kisii, Oyugis, Migori, Usenge, Luanda, Ukwala Port, Mumias, Kitale, Mbale, Malaba, Kakuma, Nyamira, Kakamega, Eldoret, Kisumu, among others).
“AfriKonekta was created to build a connected Africa, provide customer-focused, low-cost, ‘smart’ and great value travel which is convenient to book and use. Our emphasis is on connectivity, timetable synchronization, route planning, and integration”: said AfriKonekta CEO Tichaona Dande.
The digital platform has over 1,126 signed-up vehicles, ranging from 7-seater vans to 62-seater buses.
Currently, they have signed up 22 bus operators in Kenya. Furthermore, in line with their connectivity objective, they plan to sign up operators in Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Rwanda by early next year.
Being a digital platform, AfriKonekta accepts different payment methods including mobile money, credit/debit cards, and electronic bank transfers.
The platform allows customers to choose from a range of, check bus schedules, and book bus tickets online from any location. In addition, customers can track their bus via GPS tracking.
AfriKonekta Courier Services
The platform has also integrated parcel delivery services targeting Small and medium-sized (SMEs), online sellers, and person-to-person (P2P) delivery services.
Additionally, the platform provides consumer apps (Apple and Android), reseller apps, back-office tools for operators, business intelligence reports, driver apps, and operators’ counter and staff sales channels.
“We provide bus partner operators with technology to automate processes and streamline behind-the-scenes booking management, eliminating the analog booking and management processes.”: said CEO Dande.
AfriKonekta is looking to disrupt a niche sector that has the likes of Buupass offering similar services.
Source: Sakwa Kombo/Techweez
