In Ivory Coast, Kamtar offers logistics services through a digital platform linking carriers and customers.
The Ivorian start-up Kamtar makes it possible to connect the carriers to professional or private customers. The services offered range from moving to internal logistics, including delivery, explain the co-founders Arthur Thuet and Délas N’Dri. The idea came to them after encountering difficulties during a move.
Users can order a vehicle either over the internet or over the phone. The price is then proportioned, according to the chosen service, to the distances traveled. “The commission levied by the company is variable, between 10 and 15%,” details Délas N’Dri. The goods are geolocated and insurance is offered.
About 1,000 vehicles – from motorcycle to truck – are already registered on the platform. The company trains drivers to standards in terms of quality, especially for punctuality and politeness. “The idea is to increase their skills,” says Arthur Thuet. “The movers employed by the company are students, which allows them to obtain additional income. ”
Significant potential in B-to-B
For its launch, the company received funding of € 200,000 as well as support from the French investment holding company Saviu. If the project is maturing since September 2016, the company’s services were launched in January 2018.
More than 1,000 races have already been completed, ranging from deliveries for informal sellers to large companies such as Bolloré. The two co-founders see significant potential in the development of B-to-B services, particularly in the agribusiness sector.
By the end of 2018, the company could set up in a second country, whose choice is not yet fixed. One thing is certain: the two entrepreneurs intend to develop in a French-speaking country. They think of Senegal and Mali. Another logical extension would be Burkina Faso.
“An important issue is the optimization of transport flows. The empty emptying of trucks generates significant costs, “says Arthur Thuet. Another implementation, to control a corridor, could reduce these costs. The company’s objectives for 2018 are ambitious: generate 50,000 euros in revenue through 10,000 races.
Jeune Afrique
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