Sendy, a startup powering Ugandan businesses to grow

By Ronald Kagwa

 Kampala is a bustling metropolis. The city has grown to be one of the most populated urban areas in the East African Region.

Every year a lot of people migrate from rural Uganda into the dense city all searching for better opportunities.

This high number of people means that the city has grown to be a thriving trading hub for merchants in Uganda. It is the nerve centre for trade in the country hosting informal businesses such as hawkers to the more structured small and medium enterprises.

All these are significantly contributing to the growth of the Ugandan economy.

The impact of this is profound. MSMEs collectively constitute about 90% of private sector production and employ over 2.5 million people in Uganda.

In spite of this  there are still many challenges faced by merchants and SMEs in Kampala. Like in many other cities and countries in the region, access to financing is a critical bottleneck.

Getting reliable markets to source and sell  goods is also a challenge. Traffic in Kampala has also hindered access to reliable logistics for many businesses.

In recent years these factors have led to the reduction of trading capacity for many businesses as well as the sad closure for some of them.

Mariam Okello was a trader at Owino market in Kampala. When covid hit she had to adhere to government restrictions, close shop and go back to her home in Kyengera. She has never been able to return to work again.

“I used to sell imported textile. During the pandemic  nobody came to Owino. This affected my business. I could not continue. I wish I had a way of getting my goods delivered to my customers during that time. Maybe I would still be in business.” said Mariam

Mariam’s  case is a sad tale that befell many other businesses. This fortunately signaled the need for merchants to innovate.

Technology is today helping to address and insulate traders like Mariam from such fateful eventualities. Covid welcomed  the use of many tech innovations in business. Traders had to embrace the digital tools to reach their customers and remain afloat. Uganda witnessed a surge in e-commerce adoption.

This has remained the case to date, many traders have embraced e-commerce as a key channel that is helping them to generate significant revenue for their businesses. They are now utilizing every technology solution to grow their various enterprises.

Tech startups like Sendy are leading this course. The company is simplifying trade through creating solutions that enable businesses to move goods, sell goods and even get financing to grow.

Through its products Sendy Supply and Sendy fulfillment they are able to create a seamless flow that enables effective selling, reliable logistics and access to financing for business.

Sendy fulfillment works with online sellers. It's designed to support social commerce, businesses that do not have storage facilities and streamlined delivery infrastructure. The system provides storage and delivery for the sellers therefore relieving the sellers of these costs. Through that they are able to concentrate on growing their businesses.

Sendy supply on the other hand operates as a B2B tech platform. It enables businesses to source and purchase stock at competitive prices from many suppliers. They are working with businesses to pick and deliver stock  from suppliers to their various stores. They also offer financing to businesses through a Buy Now Pay Later scheme.

Today they are working with many businesses in Kampala.

Companies like Sendy are redefining trade in Uganda. They are providing all round infrastructure needed for trade. Their tech solution is enabling business from across segments to trade with ease through leveraging their platform in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.

Technology has ensured that more traders in Kampala and across Uganda can trade volumes and grow their operations. Through innovative technology and digitization, there are enormous opportunities to be tapped for businesses to prosper.

Kampala continues to be an important economic centre in Uganda. As more and more businesses continue digitizing their operations, the city will continue to soar as a flourishing business hub in the East African Region.