It offers mobile phone based solutions that enable informal cross border traders to place and track their product orders through a web, voice and text platform. MoWoza was awarded a matching grant under Sweden’s Innovations Against Poverty challenge fund, which aims to support development of innovative products, services and business models that have important impacts on the population at the bottom of the pyramid.
Informal cross border trade is a source of livelihood for many poor Mozambicans, particularly women - popularly known as mukheristas - who travel across the border to South African to bring back products to sell in the Mozambican market. Through its mobile platform MoWoza aggregates orders placed by these traders, negotiating better prices, discount deals from suppliers and better delivery systems. “This is a volume based business. We work with import and export commodity brokers to help us source the products and reduce costs” says Suzana Moreira, Project Manager at MoWoza.
MoWoza works closely with the Association of Informal Cross Border Traders in Mozambique MUKHERO and plans to train 450 frequent buying traders on how to use its mobile phone based platform and mobile wallets to pay for their orders. It provides assistance from placement of order to final delivery of the goods. MoWoza’s experience so far suggests there is a high demand for these types of innovative ICT solutions in Mozambique and the mukheristas using their services have seen substantial benefits for both their business and families. As Suzana explains “The biggest problem for these traders is crossing the border because they face lots of issues. Many of the female informal traders have said that through the use of the platform services they get more time to spend with their family. It is such a tiring lifestyle. Many of these ladies do the journey at night and return to trade in the next morning.”
MoWoza is looking at other future revenue streams to ensure continuity and sustainability of its business model. Suzana cites advertising revenues from packaging adverts, distribution of healthcare content for pharmaceutical companies and other services as some of the options being considered. The organization also plans to scale up services to other provinces in Mozambique and work with cross border traders at the Malawi/Mozambique borders.
For more information on MoWoza contact info@mowoza.com. For information on the Innovation Against Poverty challenge fund please visit http://www.sida.se/iap.
