Kazi start-up brings work, hope to jobless Kenyans

For thousands of Kenyans, finding a job that puts food on the table is a major challenge. However, for those who live in the many informal settlements around Nairobi, the odds of finding work are slowly moving in their favour, thanks to mobile technology and a service-on-demand start-up called Kazi.

The Kazi app, which won its developers the 2021 MTN Business App of the Year Award in the Best Africa Solution category is, besides work, bringing hope and dignity to those who are forced to live hand-to-mouth.

The brainchild of founders Granville Wafula and Mwenesi Musalia, the idea behind the start-up was simple – develop an app that would allow job seekers and employers to meet, negotiate and set terms for work being provided on an ad-hoc basis.

The reality was, however, a different matter, says Wafula. “Finding suitable people for jobs isn’t easy in Nairobi. Traditionally we rely on networking – contacting friends or relatives in the hopes that they know someone that they can recommend. You would then need to contact the worker involved and hope they have the time to help out. It can be a drawn-out, stressful process, especially if a need is urgent.”

It was after Musalia, who was working with an NGO feeding and helping people in the informal settlements around the city, contacted him that things changed, says Wafula.

“Musalia felt that there had to be another way to help unemployed people connect with people who could offer employment. For us, technology and mobiles, which just about everybody here has, were the obvious answer”, says Wafula.

“We believed that everybody, regardless of whether they were unskilled labourers or qualified, unemployed artisans, could benefit by an app that would enable contact with potential employers.”

It was then that Kazi was born. Starting small, acceptance grew rapidly. People from more than 100 labour categories have listed their services. Requests for assistance average 500 contacts a month, rising to about 1 000 calls in a busy month. All applicants are vetted. Their ID documents and formal qualifications are recorded, and character and work references are required before they can join the platform.

“One of the major benefits of our app is that people can now seek work from home. This means that where income is limited, there is no need to incur expenses and travel to sites in the hopes of securing some work. A built-in feature, can also locate job opportunities close to a listed worker.”

Adding even more convenience; companies supplying materials needed for home and business-based tasks have subscribed to the platform enabling people to connect with them to purchase materials, while the use of subscriptions to develop a low-cost insurance offering has enabled many workers with access to health insurance.

The MTN Business App of the Year prize money is helping the start-up founders to advertise the Kazi app. “We have the workers and are now concentrating on letting more potential clients know who they are and what they do,” says Wafula.

Says Kholofelo Magagane, head of marketing at MTN Business: “It is immensely gratifying to see a business app amongst our prize-winners that is profitable for its developers and the community it serves.

“Kazi is a prime example of how mobile devices and apps can bring services and opportunities to people who would otherwise not be able to access them. We wish them every success and trust that they will continue to grow from strength-to-strength, creating more work and opportunities for thousands of Kenyans.”

The MTN Business App of the Year Awards takes place this week where a total R1 million will be awarded to winning app developers from across the continent.

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