Africa-based Fintech Mukuru, which offers remittance services in Africa and Asia, has launched Mukuru Groceries, a new service that will help South African-based Zimbabweans to provide families back at home with groceries.
According to a press release shared with Tech In Africa, Mukuru Groceries will be available via USSD and Whatsapp to make it easy for customers seeking to place their orders.
The platform will provide customers the opportunity to order a basket of 21 grocery staples, including “Mealie Meal, cooking oil, sugar, salt, and rice,” among others.
Mukuru Groceries comes at a critical moment for many families, whose daily lives have been impacted by the coronavirus crisis and the restrictions that have followed.
As easy as sending money
The service will make it easy for families to access basic commodities, with those in South Africa able to order supplies via USSD or Whatsapp and have them delivered- as affordable and easy way as sending money.
While new users will have to sign up via USSD or Whatsapp, and ordering for the basket of groceries will also be done via the same channels. Once a customer pays at a pay-in partner, the family back in Zimbabwe will be able to collect the food items at any of 19 Metro Peech and Browne Stores spread across the country.
“We have listened carefully to what our customers are asking for, and we have innovated and added to our service offering to make sure that Zimbabwean families receive the resources and support that they so desperately need right now,” said Andy Jury, CEO, Mukuru.
He added that the company will continue to leverage its strong partnerships, network, and extensive infrastructure, “to introduce and quickly implement new services such as Mukuru Groceries.”
According to Jury, Mukuru plans to expand and provide similar innovative projects to other countries on the continent.
