A redesigned, mobile-first marketplace built for Tanzania's mobile majority

Kupatana launched in 2014 as a basic classifieds website. It was hard to engage users, there were no iOS or Android apps for a mobile-first country, sellers lacked tools to stand out, and the platform struggled to handle traffic or update listings in real time.

monthly app users

+40%

new users on the app

100M

records migrated

downtime

-10%

development hours

Overview on the project

Duration:

11 months

Company size:

15-50 employess

Industry:

Retail (Marketplace / Classifieds)

Country:

Tanzania

Challenge

Kupatana launched in 2014 as a classifieds website. It was hard to engage users and show products well. There were no iOS or Android apps, so much of a mobile-first country could not reach it. Sellers had no tools to stand out, no paid listings, dealer subscriptions, or banner ads. And the platform struggled to handle traffic, with listings not updating in real time.

Solution

Rebuilt Kupatana for its real audience, a market where over 75% of users are on mobile, with native iOS and Android apps. A redesigned interface added clear categories and advanced search, so buyers and sellers find what they need fast. We migrated the data to a secure cloud and applied DevOps practices, so the platform stays up during peak traffic and syncs across all systems. That made Kupatana Tanzania's go-to platform for online commerce.

Makusaro T.

CEO, Kupatana

The most critical thing was their ability to educate and think logically with the designs. Nothing was left unnoticed. If they weren't sure they asked, if it didn't seem right they suggested, and their ability to communicate this with me was immense.

Makusaro T.

CEO, Kupatana