Local Startup Spotlight: Khutenga
With the eCommerce space in Zambia booming based on mostly the convenience of it, I had to speak to Khutenga’s founder Dr. Sheila Shawa-Musonda about her platform, what gap she saw in the space and what the growth plans are.
Khutenga was formed in July 2020 and registered in January 2021, responding to the need to provide a solution to access goods and services outside Lusaka, especially taking into account the limitations and restrictions that Covid-19 brought about with access and logistics.
It was founded by Dr. Sheila Shawa-Musonda, who holds a PhD from the University of Zambia (in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen) and a Masters in Infectious Diseases from The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Where did the idea for Khutenga come from?
“We’re moving towards everything digital. My own exposure having lived in other parts of the world where you’re able to go online, search for and find what you’re looking for, where it is located, and how it can be delivered quickly, sparked a passion,” Dr Shawa-Musonda.
She added, “I realize we could do the same thing in Zambia. One day when I was looking to buy my son a pair of pajamas, I went to several malls looking for a set but the sizes were wrong. I only found something a week later at some other mall. Having a platform like Khutenga would have saved me so much time! Another thing that prompted the idea was working out of town and having many challenges with finding things we needed nearby. As a scientist, I believe in solutions so this was a perfect initiative for people who live outside major towns and have a hard time accessing basic good and services. Khutenga was built to solve this problem.”
Users can log on to the site www.khutenga.com, purchase the item and get it delivered to their doorstep. For the vendors, this increases their visibility and market coverage to anyone who has access to the internet.
At Khutenga, the current goal is to get more people onboard to use their trading platform. At this time they have have made a lot of progress in getting vendors to register in the site and are working towards getting more customers to purchase online from them.
