Tanzania - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

An easy-to-use mobile app that connects cargo owners and transporters in an efficient manner. We offer a secure way for cargo owners to get their goods transported and transporters to easily find regular work among a multitude of cargo owners.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

We aim to use a mobile application to connect cargo owners and transporters in an efficient manner by optimizing routes and utilizing empty trucks. Drivers register their vehicles on our app, including their routes. The cargo owner logs in the app, and fills in cargo details including drop off point. This information is then displayed to drivers that are most fitting for transportation. Drivers then send their desired pricing back to the cargo owner. Cargo owner selects driver from among the available vehicles, after considering pricing, ratings & reviews and number of successful trips. We then match the cargo to the selected driver where he/she receives confirmation for the trip. The cargo owner receives details about vehicle, trip &driver and is requested to pay in advance. Cargo is then loaded and transported and delivery is confirmed electronically by the driver via a receipt. We verify with the cargo owner and make sure it is all set and then release payment to the driver.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Tanzania has the most borders in Africa (8 in total) and only one major port, but who is filling up all the trucks that deliver goods to neighboring countries and come back empty? We are therefore targeting the following challenges; 1. To enhance energy efficiency in road freight transport by effectively optimizing the available fleet of vehicles through improved load occupancy by offering shared transportation options for businesses that require deliveries to the same areas 2. To reduce emissions by eliminating unnecessary road trips through route optimization thus subsequently enabling a reduction in fuel consumption and significantly reducing the carbon footprint. 3. To solve unemployment by empowering transporters to easily find regular work among a multitude of cargo owners.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

1. Improving job availability by enabling drivers to find regular work among a multitude of cargo owners while ensuring competitive prices. 2. Bringing transparency to transportation since cargo owners can now have convenient access to a wide range of competitive offers and can choose a transporter based on price, rating, and experience in the comfort of their phone. 3. Reducing the cost of transportation by removing the middlemen & brokers between vehicle owners and cargo owners who charge up to 40% of transport fees as commission.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

Direct Beneficiaries: Drivers can now easily find regular work among a multitude of cargo owners while ensuring competitive prices and without meeting physically to haggle over delivery terms and therefore attaining the vehicle owner's agreed amount without overworking. Cargo owners also have convenient access to a wide range of competitive offers and can choose a transporter based on price, rating, and experience. Also indirectly, by removing the middlemen & brokers we are helping to lower the cost of transportation for the majority of Tanzanians by cutting shipping costs by about 40% and making the logistics process more cost-effective, whereby about 70% of the cost of goods sold in Africa is the cost spent on logistics alone, and mostly are commissions charged by the middlemen.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-03-14

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Agnes Aloyce - She is a Logistics Professional and General Operations personnel with a demonstrated history of working with various transportation companies in Tanzania. She is highly skilled in the fields of Logistics planning and Supply Chain Optimization. Novath Tarimo - A full-stack software developer with over eight years of experience in web and mobile app development and an outstanding portfolio of accomplished software projects.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

a) Energy (equipment, services, sustainable energy and fuel)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

We are helping to lower the cost of living for the majority of Tanzanians by cutting shipping costs by about 40% and making the logistics process more cost-effective, whereby about 70% of the cost of goods sold in Africa is the cost spent on logistics alone, and mostly are commissions charged by the middlemen.

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

2

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

N/A

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

3

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

N/A

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

5

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

Our solution will highly engage communities of truck drivers & vehicle owners, mainly educating them via workshops and field seminars on how to improve their working conditions on road safety and increase profits by eliminating the middleman.

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

6

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Female truck drivers are mostly undermined in the transportation sector, we aim to improve their working conditions by ensuring they can easily find regular work among a multitude of cargo owners at fair and competitive prices as their male counterparts and without meeting physically to haggle over delivery terms with transporters and therefore attaining the truck owner's agreed amount without overworking.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

3

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

N/A

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

By effectively optimizing the available fleet of vehicles, it is expected that the vehicle empty run time will be reduced, unnecessary trips will be eliminated, and there will be a subsequent reduction in fuel consumption thus significantly reducing the carbon footprint.

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

6

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

Our solution will highly engage communities of truck drivers, mainly focusing on how to improve their working conditions by eliminating the middleman. The logistics sector is riddled with expensive middlemen between the vehicle owner and the cargo owner. By linking drivers directly to cargo owners, it will guarantee drivers to obtain regular work while retaining their fair share, because mostly the middlemen end up claiming up to 60% of the transportation fee, and the rest is handed to the vehicle owner, leaving the driver almost empty-handed.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

6

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

We are bringing transparency and efficiency to the transportation sector by utilizing software systems for transport management where one can see on the app what every driver is charging for service before selecting a transporter of their choice. Also, the mobile application helps to connect cargo owners and transporters efficiently by effectively optimizing routes and utilizing alternative trucks.

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

6

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

The logistics sector is riddled with expensive middlemen between the vehicle owner and the cargo owner. By linking drivers directly to cargo owners, it will guarantee drivers to obtain regular work while retaining their fair share, because mostly the middlemen end up claiming up to 60% of the transportation fee, and the rest is handed to the vehicle owner, leaving the driver almost empty-handed.

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

2

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

N/A

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

6

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

By effectively optimizing the available fleet of vehicles, it is expected that the vehicle empty run time will be reduced, unnecessary trips will be eliminated, and there will be a subsequent reduction in fuel consumption thus significantly reducing the carbon footprint.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

By effectively optimizing the available fleet of vehicles, it is expected that the vehicle empty run time will be reduced, unnecessary trips will be eliminated, and there will be a subsequent reduction in fuel consumption thus significantly reducing the carbon footprint.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

3

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

N/A

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

2

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

N/A

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

6

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

The logistics sector is riddled with expensive middlemen between the vehicle owner and the cargo owner. By linking drivers directly to cargo owners, it will guarantee drivers to obtain regular work while retaining their fair share, because mostly the middlemen end up claiming up to 60% of the transportation fee, and the rest is handed to the vehicle owner, leaving the driver almost empty-handed.

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

3

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

N/A

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

3

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

3

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

5

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

5

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

4

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.08 Justification

Our solution is a digital platform that enables cargo owners to reliably access conveniently priced transport services whereby through eliminating the middlemen we bring trust and transparency back to transportation by linking cargo owners directly to truck drivers. Our unique competitive pricing model ensures that the shipper doesn't pay too much and the transporter isn't paid too little and an advance payment model (escrow) minimizes chances of fraud, whereby the cargo owner logs in to the app, and fills in cargo details including drop-off point. This information is then displayed to drivers that are most fitting for transportation. Drivers then send their desired pricing back to the cargo owner. Cargo owner selects from among the available drivers, after considering pricing, ratings/reviews, and number of successful trips. We then match the cargo to the selected driver where he/she receives confirmation on the app and release payment to the driver after completion of the trip.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

The middlemen & Brokers are our main competitors. Currently, the logistics sector is riddled with expensive middlemen between the vehicle owner and the cargo owner. By linking drivers directly to cargo owners, it will guarantee drivers to obtain regular work while retaining their fair share, because mostly the middlemen end up claiming up to 60% of the transportation fee, and the rest is handed to the vehicle owner, leaving the driver almost empty-handed. However, we plan to overcome this by engaging directly with vehicle owners & drivers and enlightening them on the potential benefits of why they should opt for a digital channel to obtain customers instead.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

I have been running an e-commerce enablement platform that allows small business owners to easily set up online stores and accept orders from customers directly on their WhatsApp, via this platform, I have enabled several female SMEs owners to dream of owning an e-commerce website without any technical skills required or hiring a developer. With a couple of business management and marketing tools, this platform "OdaDirect" has supported women & girls to set up and grow their businesses digitally without technical and financial constraints, ranging from small kiosks to restaurants, online fruit & vegetable vendors, and those selling electronics, fashion and cosmetics products.