Kuba
Using smart & inclusive technology to empower small business owners in disadvantaged communities.
We want to use technology to improve access. Due to lack of access to opportunities we see unemployment rise, lack of access to information leads to poor healthcare, and due to lack of access we see communities breaking down and leading to bigger problems.
Kuba was developed to respond to the above, but specifically making it easier for Small business owners in disadvantaged communities to access business opportunities and in return to be able to employ more people and contribute towards socio-economic development.
Kuba is an award winning digital platform that simplifies procurement for corporate entities that currently work with, or seek, small businesses partners especially Township based small businesses.
Corporate & Large organisations:
Kuba enables large companies to diversify their supplier pool and support small, black owned, businesses. Kuba delivers vetted contracting opportunities across industries and services, from Welding, Carpentry, Décor, and Promotional Material to Accountants.
Small Business or Vendors:
Vendors benefit from Kuba by professionalising their offering to include polished quoting and invoicing along with the empirical credibility of past transactions needed to trade with with large corporate entity.
Since launching in early 2017 Kuba has attracted over 200 small business/vendors that use the platform to access new opportunities.
- Upskilling, Reskilling, and Job Matching
- Inclusive Supply Chains
Kuba uses technology to solve challenges we are faced with in South Africa, especially the Dual Economy problem with leads to difficulties to accessing opportunities. The platform that simplifies procurement for corporate entities that currently work with, or seek, small businesses partners especially Township based small businesses.
Vendors benefit from Kuba by professionalising their offering to include polished quoting and invoicing along with the empirical credibility of past transactions needed to trade with with large corporate entity.
We have developed a Web based application that our users access and register a profile, through this processes our users are able to use Kuba to electronically quote & invoice there clients as well as get rated. Should an individual or a business want an external service provider they can access Kuba website and Find a vendor, the system will then send out notification to all the Vendors under a particular area and category. This process make it fair for all small businesses to be aware of opportunities available to them.
We want to reach 1000 users, and be present in more than 2 Provinces.
Currently we have 210 Users, with over 80 opportunities created and completed through Kuba, our small business owners have submitted quotation using Kuba to the value of +$170000 and invoices worth more than $50000, this are data that currently no other institution really can get, and using Kuba software we are able to identify which community needs skills development and what sector government can invest in.
In the next 3 years we want to see Kuba across Africa, lifting marginalized small business owners out of poverty and growing with us through the improved access system. With our already existing 2010 users we have seen how Kuba has impacted their business, and from this users we are already reaching 650 individuals who are benefiting from our partners. We want to grow this figures further and use our data to contribute towards Socio-Economic development goals.
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Urban
- Rural
- Lower
- Sub-Saharan Africa
We have developed a model that our current users becomes our ambassadors, We will also be partnering with other service providers to rollout Kuba, we are already talking with potential partners and users in Kenya, Angola, & Tanzania.
We will also be using various media outlets, and Social media to reach more users. The platform has already won awards that has made us more credible.
We have 210 users, majority our our users 180 are small businesses owners that had no access to digital business tools to streamline their operations, because of Kuba they can now monitor how they are doing, as well as access new opportunities.
Our users have told us how glad they are for being on Kuba, and the fact that it is very easy to use, but also that their customers are happy that they are now formalizing their businesses.
Our target is to reach 1000 in the next 6 months and at least have over 4000 users in 12 months this spike in number is calculated from investment we want to make in Marketing of Kuba, as well as using our existing use through reward system for their businesses to introduce Kuba to fellow businesses owners. Especially when an opportunity is requiring more than 1 small business (plumbing work that requires builders, electricians or Design work that requires graphic and printing businesses)
- Hybrid of For Profit and Nonprofit
- 5
- 1-2 years
Business-to-Business Marketing
Web-development
Accounting
Design
Pay-As-Use
License Model - Platform as a Service
Transaction Fee
Research & Data analysis
*On average we expect to make $12 per month from each user.
* Our target is to reach 1000 users in the 6 months.
Solve can assist us with our ask, giving us access to right partnership to expand Kuba, as well as for us to be able to raise needed Capital expansion, we need to build Kuba2.0 using the data that we have received from our existing users, as well as Market the platform to more users.
We have tested our model and it works, with little capital we had and we are now in a better position to invest correctly in our offering. Our biggest barrier right now is access to working Capital so that we can Market the platform to more users.
- Technology Mentorship
- Connections to the MIT campus
- Impact Measurement Validation and Support
- Grant Funding
- Preparation for Investment Discussions