Kambudzi.com, a diaspora-focused e-commerce platform looking to be an alternative to Malaicha

Kambudzi is a new e-commerce platform on the block looking to jump into the same space as Malaicha. It is a diaspora-centric platform looking to enable Zimbabweans in the diaspora to buy groceries for their loved ones back home. To do this they have partnered with Mega Save Cash and Carry for the groceries supplies to guarantee that what you buy is what you get. For logistics they are working with Unifreight Africa (Swift).

How it works

They have a website and an app that you can use to access their services. The sort of products they have in their inventory is both single items and bulk item groceries. It’s all up to you. To use the service you will need to sign up by creating an account with them.

When you are done shopping you will need to enter the details of the person receiving the package on the checkout page. So their name, ID number, phone number, and the collection point that is closest to them. Kambudzi at the moment has 40 collection points spread across Zimbabwe.

Soon as payment is done, delivery will take 1 – 3 working days to reach the selected collection point. When the package has arrived, the recipient will get an SMS and a call notifying them of the arrival of their package.

In terms of payment, the options available are VISA and Mastercard. Nostro FCA cards or prepaid USD cards work too for those in Zimbabwe wanting to try this out. No local currency payment options here. After all, it is a service targeted at the diaspora.

Payment process is slightly different in South Africa.

For the folks in South Africa, the process for payment is a little bit different. If you are placing an order from South Africa you will need to first select the South African website or App. When the order is placed in checkout, a payment link is sent to you via SMS which you must click on to go through the payment process. It will look something like this:

(Kambudzi payment link for order (SAGC2937) https://payat.io/qr/11984985015838

This link will expire within 24 hours after which you will then be required to run the checkout process again. The link takes you to a checkout page that lists the available payment methods. You can pay in-store with a card, using cash at the teller (for those that are unbanked), or through your bank via EFT. Kambudzi partnered up with all major retailers in SA for this payment service that includes Pick ‘n Pay, Shoprite, Checkers, PEP, Spar, and Game.

Once payment is successful, the order is processed and the delivery process is initiated here in Zimbabwe from their Harare Distribution Centre.

The competition

This is well within Malaicha’s turf. In Zimbabwe, Malaicha is using Choppies as both its groceries supplier and collection point. So in turn Malaicha is leveraging this to offer a claimed same-day-collection after payment has been done.

Malaicha also is offering the option of hardware items through Halsted in addition to groceries which is an edge. In these 2 areas is where Kambudzi is losing ground to Malaicha. However, Kambudzi does have just a few more collection points than Malaicha.

A service that none of them are offering that I think might have some takers is groceries for students in boarding school. So having a list of boarding schools in Zimbabwe where parents can send groceries directly to their child’s school and avoid the need to do the shopping themselves and then drive there and back is a big cost on fuel. I think this is a ready demographic that can be incentivized to use such platforms.

Also Read:

• Zim has a new online store called Kwingy and its data free
• Union Hardware revamps online store, Zimbos abroad can pay and have locals collect