NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 15 – A Kenyan deathcare start-up has raised Sh12.4 million ($100,000) to digitize Kenya’s funeral industry.
The round was raised from US angel investors, allowing it to launch Kenya’s and Africa’s first end-of-life services platform.
The platform offers digital death notices, memorials, and a directory of funeral service providers.
SafiriSalama, which is derived from the Swahili words “Safiri Salama,” translates to “Travel Safe.”
“Africans tend to avoid discussions about death or end-of-life planning,” the start-up’s founder and CEO, John Nyongesa, said.
“This lack of knowledge creates an opportunity for exploitation, as people are uninformed and emotionally vulnerable when a loved one passes away,” Nyongesa added.
In Kenya, the end-of-life industry has seen significant growth in recent years and is estimated to be worth $450 million (Sh56 billion) annually.
However, the industry lacks a clear and user-friendly system for bereaved families, leading to issues such as inconsistent pricing, unclear industry standards, and difficulty distinguishing between competitors.
Despite Kenya’s reputation for high levels of technology usage, such as internet penetration, smartphone access, and e-commerce growth, the end-of-life industry remains largely untouched.
In this “state of flux,” bereaved families are hugely disadvantaged. “You can buy a toothpick online but can’t track a coffin seller.” poses Nyongesa.
Among the platform’s three digital products is “The Redbook”, a B2B & B2C product and service online directory that connects verified service providers in the funeral and grief industry with families.
In 2021, Nyongesa was joined as co-founders by Steve Lelei, an actuarial scientist, and Edith Orwako, a project manager.
The COVID-19 lockdown in the country that disallowed traditional committee meetings to plan for funerals was a game changer.
With an almost 85 percent decline in national newspaper circulation and the increase of online news consumption, the trio realized the need for a tech-based solution to provide information management and planning.
The platform developed two products: death notices and memorials. Death notices enable the creation of affordable and user controlled digital death announcements that can be shared across multiple social media platforms.
“Every life, regardless of status is a story” says Nyongesa, “The internet is an equalizer.”
