Smart solution steering matatus onto cashless road
Thursday, June 4, 2020 0:01
By JAMES KARIUKI |
Smart Matatu CEO Edwin Kiverenge (centre) explains to conductors of Orokise Sacco how his cashlite machine works on May 15 at Railways Bus terminus, Nairobi.
In 2017, Mr Kiverenge hired three developers and leased an office in Nairobi where he spent the next 11 months developing his mobile and website applications that created an interactive dashboard for matatu owners, sacco officials as well as a front-end dashboard for the bus conductors.
Mr Kiverenge said the past month has witnessed a rise in uptake of his Smart Matatu solution as tech savvy passengers now demand use of a cashless platform.
The Smart Matatu platform, downloadable from Google Playstore, comes with a free-of-charge smart card that one uses to tap the POS which prompts a text message on the commuter’s phone requesting for confirmation of fare payment.
Mr Kiverenge who started off with three employees and made a loss in 2017 enjoyed a Sh1.2 million turnover in 2018 and has since expanded his operations to include salespeople who visit the matatu operators around the clock to service or replace the POS gadgets.
