This archive report was first published on 11 September 2019.
On September 11, 2019, a new era dawned for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya with the launch of the Taffuta app, a platform that enables customers to directly interact with entrepreneurs when transacting business.
The app, developed by Harsh Savalkar, a resident of Kisumu County, aims to eliminate the need for middlemen and commission agents, who often suffocate SMEs by making it difficult for them to make a profit.
According to Savalkar, SMEs can register their businesses on the app at no cost and upload photos of their products. The app will then notify them whenever someone is looking for the same products, allowing them to reach out to potential customers spontaneously and execute business.
With over 4000 downloads since its inception, the app has already created a similar ecosystem for both customers and entrepreneurs to network directly and transact business across the country with just a click of a button on their smartphones.
The app's developers plan to tap into the rising population of smartphone users in Kenya, which has grown to over 60% of the population in the past five years.
