Uganda - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Kuja offers cashless solutions for people who already use mobile money. Our service works with all mobile networks and links them into one platform. We are introducing new methods of making payments using NFCs. With our contactless products, users can pay

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

To address the challenges faced by users when making payments, we believe that creating alternative payment methods can significantly improve their experience. To that end, we have developed a seamless platform for mobile money users. By signing up for our Kuja application, they will receive a card and a wristband. The aim is for customers to be able to make contactless payments with ease at stores, saving time and increasing efficiency. This will reduce queues, which can lead to a decrease in the use of cash, as customers realize the convenience of our system. We have our own POS devices placed at different stores, enabling merchants to accept contactless payments within seconds. They can also monitor their daily and monthly forecasts through the app.

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

In Uganda, the most common methods of conducting regular payments are mobile money and cash. Around 80% of Ugandans use these methods for their daily trades. However, we have observed that payment processes for goods in stores are slow. It takes a mobile money user an average of 10 minutes or more to complete a simple payment for goods in a store. This results in long queues of customers waiting for their turn to make a payment. Due to this slow process, customers often resort to cash payments, which are vulnerable to theft and contribute to the high rate of cash payments in Uganda. Solving these issues could increase transaction rates for mobile networks and provide accurate and conclusive data for merchants for future financial benefits. Ensuring a sense of safety and security will assure customers that they do not always need cash, thereby reducing the vulnerability to theft.

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

Our main target audience comprises existing mobile money users in Uganda who use Airtel and MTN services for daily transactions such as buying goods. Kuja aims to attract small and medium-sized enterprises as well as large-scale businesses, such as supermarkets, that use mobile money as a means of receiving payments. Although our focus is on current mobile money users, we also aim to expand our market by encouraging cash users in Uganda to adopt digital transactions and gradually transition towards a cashless economy.

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

the General public and their business with room to expand to government, banking and other services with the local market

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2020-01-10

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

1

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

0

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

Tilak and I have known each other at Coventry University. We became close as we had the same plans to make an impact in Africa. We have always motivated each other through university studies and also through our part-time jobs during our studies. Through our tough times, we believe that being patient, persistent, and ambitious in life will take you a long way.

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

https://www.kujaug.com

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

g) Financial services

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

we are providing a system that will help the poor to start making money by becoming an agent for kuja

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

my solution is a payment system

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

7 - Strongly Agree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

N/A

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

we will hair from university and train and build there knowledge of the business

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

my startup will have equality within the company we as a company do not accept discrimination between genders

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

i agree we need to grow and make better future for the next generation

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

6

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

we are checking the way payment is made on the go with cashless transactions and security

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

4

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

3

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

3

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

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

4

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

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

6

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

7 - Strongly Agree

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

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

MTN

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

yes where i can help i do my level best