MyTaxi is the latest edition to the already well-stocked Kenyan taxi hailing startup scene, claiming it is targeting a lower market segment unserved by the likes of Uber and Easy Taxi.
Co-founders Mark Manyuru and Jones Baraza say they launched MyTaxi as the increased accessibility to smartphones in Kenya has eased communication and opened up new markets.
MyTaxi is currently available only online, though Manyuru told Disrupt Africa an Android app is currently under development. The platform requires a customer to fill in a form detailing the planned route and number of passengers, with notifications then sent to drivers on the MyTaxi database. Drivers can then quote fares, allowing the passenger to choose their preferred option and pay in advance.
Drivers pay a KES250 (US$2.5) quarterly subscription to be part of the MyTaxi database, which currently incorporates 200 taxi drivers. Security features include the sending of a passport-sized photo of the driver to the customer in advance of the trip.
Manyuru said MyTaxi – which is currently targeting Nairobi and its suburbs – was targeting a portion of the market that was being largely ignored by the likes of Uber and Easy Taxi.
“We do not target the upscale clients, we target the ordinary person using a taxi on a day-to-day basis,” he said.
Manyuru believes that the current market leaders in the taxi sector are not the large taxi hailing apps, but rather the established taxi companies. However, he does admit the financial resources of Uber and Easy Taxi make them “formidable opponents”.
“But the market is so huge. Currently they are focused on upscale clients. We are on the lower strata of the market,” he said. “The market is so huge, we can fit at least 20 more.”
He said MyTaxi was in the process of adding to its database of drivers by securing various taxi spots in the suburbs and the city, with the long-term plan being to get all the main towns in Kenya on board.
“Of course that takes a lot of shillings and ability on behalf of the site itself,” Manyuru said.
The startup is self-funded, something Manyuru said was very challenging to start with.
“Now that we have gotten the hang of it it is easy to reinvest what we are getting to upscale the business,” he said. “We are looking for money from various prospects.”
In spite of the negativity surrounding the chances of finding startup funding within Kenya, Manyuru said MyTaxi was looking close to home for investment.
“We are looking in Kenya. There are actually significant portions of people looking to fund such entities within the microfinance sector. That is what we are focusing on,” he said.
