AfriKonekta’s Tichaona Dande wins award for interc...

AfriKonekta’s Tichaona Dande wins award for intercity online bus booking platform

Audrey Galawu

Finland-based Tichaona Dande last Wednesday won an award for his Intercity online bus booking platform AfriKonekta which was named the second-best bus booking ticketing app at the 2023 Mobile App Awards in Nairobi, Kenya.

The competition, which attracted numerous participants, honoured the best mobile apps on iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone.

Dande said the win is a testament to their potential.

“AfriKonekta was nominated for two categories; BEST Parcel Booking APP and BEST Bus Ticketing App and emerged a GOLD Winner in the ‘BEST on Demand Delivery App’ or Parcel Booking AND SILVER Winner in the ‘Best Bus Ticketing App’.

“We emerged ahead of BuuPass in the bus booking, with Iabiri emerging as the gold winner.

“As a start-up, this win is a testament of our impact in the market and the great potential that awaits AfriKonekta.

“This prestigious accolade is a springboard for AfriKonekta to further elevate our current market position and deliver greater value to our distinguished customers," Dande said.

The award comes three months after the firm launched its services in the country.

Due to its affordable booking charges of as low as US$1, the app, for a short period of time, has attracted numerous travellers and parcel services, targeting SMEs, online sellers, and person-to-person delivery services.

Dande earlier said that the platform seeks to build a connected Africa with broader and deeper regional and continental integration.

“Our team is on a mission to build Africa’s first super-app with the goal to make cross-border travel, parcel delivery, urban and intercity mobility more connected, affordable, safe, and sustainable across regions and the entire continent,” he said.

“Our long-term strategic goal is building a unique travel super app replacing 20-plus single purpose apps, thus giving delightful travel experience in Africa. Our integrated services will give AfriKonekta a wider usability even when you are not travelling, making it sticky.”

Through this, it plans to sign up more players, launch operations in Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Rwanda by early next year to expand its East Africa connectivity and continental coverage, and strengthen its inventory of partner operators.

AfriKonekta Mobility Oy is a Finnish start-up company that is based in Helsinki and was founded by Tichaona Dande and Pekka Möttö. While Dande is from Zimbabwe and currently lives in Finland, Möttö is a Finnish citizen.

Dande moved to Finland in 2015 to pursue further studies in International Law, Global Politics, Business Administration, and Development Studies, completing three Masters’ degrees.

The network comprises 1 000 trips per day, 282 stops, and over 1 126 signed-up vehicles, ranging from seven to 62 seats. Already, the start-up has signed about twenty 22 bus operators, such as Msamaria Mwema, Nya Ugenya, Salama Bus, Transline Kemera Sacco, Promise Buses, We Travellers Sacco, and Eldoret Express, among others.