SA startup Kandua announces partnership with French retailer Leroy Merlin

Johannesburg-based artisan marketplace Kandua has announced that it has launched a partnership with French home improvement retailer Leroy Merlin to provide the retailer’s customers with access to Kandua’s contractors.

Kandua’s online platform connects home owners and building maintenance managers with rated and vetted artisans. The startup was founded in 2014 by Arjun Khoosal, Sayo Folawiyo and Lucas Du Toit.

Kandua, formerly known as ID Work, first mentioned the partnership to Ventureburn in May (see this article) when Khoosal stated that the company had closed an agreement with the French company.

Kandua connects home owners and building maintenance managers with rated and vetted artisans

In an announcement on Monday (24 September), the startup said that every customer that visits the Leroy Merlin store — which is set to open at the Stoneridge Shopping Centre in Greenstone, Johannesburg this Friday (28 September) — will have the option to use selected Kandua contractors who have been trained on best practice for Leroy Merlin products.

Responding to questions from Ventureburn, Du Toit said the partnership had come about through what he called a “common commitment” to customer experiences.

He would not disclose whether the partnership also involved an equity investment from the French company.

Since its launch, the startup claims to have driven over R40-million worth of revenue opportunity to hundreds of service providers across the country.

In 2016, Kandua was crowned South Africa’s best startup at a Seedstars World pitch event. Last year, the startup was also nominated to join Blackbox Connect‘s Google backed accelerator.

Read more: How Seedstars competition helped put these SA startups on the map

Featured image: Kandua via Facebook