Online Marketplace Kaymu Zambia Responds to Techtrends’ Feedback

Kaymu is an online marketplace that is available in over 25 countries globally and is now in Zambia but we had a few concerns about its website functionality at first. We noticed there was no shopping cart, no mobile money facility previously and the products were not as varied as we’d expected. Kaymu Zambia responded, so here goes:

‘About a month ago, a review of Kaymu Zambia surfaced on Techtrends. The review was hard-hitting and candid, and it made us at Kaymu take note. Constructive feedback is always welcome at Kaymu, and we thought to take a measured approach in addressing the comments raised in the article.

To be clear, the concept of an eCommerce marketplace in Zambia is entirely new. Kaymu is the first company to bring Zambia’s formal and informal retail markets online. Given Kaymu’s position as an ecommerce first-mover, we may not get everything right at first.

However, in the short span of time that we’ve been in operation, we have brought the possibility of online retail to thousands of consumers across the country. Buyers in Chipata or Ndola can browse the Kaymu site, order items and expect delivery of their desired items from Lusaka in three (3) days. That is truly revolutionary!

Buying and selling on Kaymu is EASY! Click here for a quick guide on HOW TO BUY and HOW TO SELL on the site.

In the past month, Kaymu has introduced MTN Mobile Money as a means of prepayment, expanded our upcountry delivery reach, and signed on a variety of new sellers on to the site.

“Improvements to the site are ongoing as we regularly test every facet of the site to enhance the buyer  and seller experience,” according to John Paul Makilya, Kaymu Zambia Country Manager.

Customer Service: Kaymu aims to continue to provide timely customer service to buyers who call in or email us with questions about their orders and just to chat about navigating the site. The local team addresses customer queries six days a week, and will continue to improve on our responsiveness.

 Buyer Engagement: The company plans to have a number of buyer engagement events in the coming two weeks to seek buyer feedback on the site’s product selection and pricing. Kaymu also aims to engage sceptical buyers who think the prices on the site are not believable given how affordable the products are.

Seller Training: In a bid to develop the site’s seller base, Kaymu has commenced training sellers in stock management and ecommerce strategy to ensure buyers can trust that they will receive the items that they order.

 New Delivery Options: In response to upcountry buyer interest, Kaymu has launched a delivery partnership with EMS that guarantees delivery of items shipped from the site to upcountry buyers within 3 business days. The company also lowered the price of delivery for both Lusaka (K15) and upcountry buyers  (K20) last week.

Payment Methods: Kaymu launched MTN Mobile Money prepayment for buyers across the country earlier this month and it will launch a bank transfer option in the coming week. The company will also look to partner with other mobile money payment providers across the country. Cash-on-delivery still remains an option for all Lusaka buyers.

For now, the Kaymu Zambia ecommerce journey continues. Find us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and let us know how we’re doing.’

From the time of the review we did here at Techtrends, we can see that Kaymu is getting a little hype from the Zambian community who are getting to understand clearly how eCommerce and ePayments work, from the seller/buyer education programmes being held by Kaymu itself.

We expect to see a shopping cart included on the Kaymu website soon. We wish them all the best, and hope Zambians realise just how much easier it is to shop online.