NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 3 – Growing up with a single mom, Ivon Priscar Nyambaro learned the hard way what hardship was.
As a young child, she often joined her mom in menial jobs where she experienced difficulties.
Hard work paid off later when her mom managed to open a small business in Kenyatta Market in Nairobi that sold peanuts.
However, her life changed for the better when she joined forces with Kapu, an online business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce platform that lets individuals and firms buy goods at affordable rates.
Through the e-commerce platform, a buyer saves 10 percent on grocery purchases compared to traditional e-commerce sites as well as kiosks and supermarkets.
Capital Business had a sit-down with Nyambaro, who is 28 years old, and below is an excerpt of the conversation.
How was your life growing up?
My life growing up wasn’t an easy one, considering my mom was a single mother and jobless. She struggled to bring us up through simple manual jobs.
When I was of age, I joined my mother doing the humble jobs for people, like washing clothes and fetching water.
There was a time we were hired to wash Kenyatta University and Mount Kenya University hostels.
All these would help me enable my mom put food on the table.
Eventually, through the struggles and peanut hustles, we managed to set up a kiosk right here at Kenyatta Market in Kahawa West.
Tell us about your current job occupation. What does it entail?
Currently, I am working as a KAPU agent in my neighborhood, which is an online supermarket.
My customers order goods from KAPU through me. Customers also order directly on the app and select my shop as their pick-up point.
With all this, I get to earn a good commission every week paid to my M-Pesa account.
How did you start selling on Kapu?
I was introduced to KAPU around June 2022 by Ronald, who is a KAPU representative. Before KAPU, I was working in a local shop.
Accepting to partner with KAPU wasn’t easy, as Ronald had to take his time to train and coach me. It was on that Friday of the week that I earned my first Ksh 3000 during the first week! I gained more interest and referred KAPU to all my customers and friends, mobilizing many students who continue to order with me.
What qualifications does one need to be a Kapu agent?
No capital is required. All one needs is a smartphone to be an agent and a physical local location like a kiosk.
How do you make money on Kapu?
I earn commissions from the total goods I order on a daily basis. I earn from customers who place their orders via the Kapu app and earn bonuses as well. Kapu sends me money on the mobile money app M-Pesa every Friday.
How has Kapu impacted your life?
My shop has grown, and I have been able to invest in it with the money I have earned through Kapu.
I no longer have to do additional manual jobs and can afford enough back-to-school shopping for my two kids! Which is not easy.
My friends earn from being Kapu Kommando’s, and customers earn points that they can redeem to save more money.
