#DEMOTop40 : Nikweli Is An SMS-Based Job Matching Service

Nikweli is a mobile-to-web job matching platform that connects employers and job seekers for service and industry sector positions. Job seekers register their standardized professional details through SMS. We control quality of the database. Employers search and compile candidates online with a click. We aim to expand reach, reduce cost and time, and bring more transparency for employers and job seekers alike.



Product

Job seekers register their standardized professional details through an automatic SMS survey. We have various checking mechanisms to try to make sure the details are as accurate and detailed as possible. Employers search for candidates on our web interface with criteria that are important to them. They can compile chosen candidates with a click. Once the employer pays, they will be able to see the full information and contact details of the candidates they have chosen. The shortlisting process is done. The rest is up to the employers to interview their candidates.



There is a lot of potential for expansion with additional functionalities to make sure the experience is smooth and painless for both employers and job seekers alike.



Value

Problem: In Tanzania, 850,000 candidates enter the labour market each year. Most struggle to find employment due to financial constraints, few connections, and inaccurate knowledge. Employers complain about time and financial cost to find honest and good workers.



Opportunity: With more than 90% of job seekers able to use a simple phone — compared to only 12% with internet access — there is an enormous opportunity to leverage mobile technology to provide a scalable recruitment solution.



Solution: Nikweli is faster, easier and more efficient for employers and job seekers alike than our competitors. Candidates register their professional details from a simple phone. Employers search, sort, and shortlist candidates via an intuitive online interface.



Our main competitors are recruitment agencies, websites with job postings, and two other new job postings through SMS services. We believe our targets and methods to reach our clients are different enough from our competitors that we occupy a good-size niche.



Successes

We have over 600 job seekers signed up. Currently, we are scaling our database to 1000+ candidates. We have 10 employers signed up for trials since our prototype 1.0 was realised. We are pushing for our second phase of employer trials in the next 3 weeks.



We are also in discussions on partnerships with Millicom/Tigo, Restless Development, Dar Teknohama Business Incubator, and other partners.



Current:

Restless Development -presence in the youth job-seekers community

VIBINDO — presence in the informal sector community



Prospective (discussions with partner are ongoing):

TIGO — mobile operator focusing on youth and low income customer segment in Tanzania (and subsequently other mobile operators in the country)

DTBi — business incubator in Tanzania, offering connection with local technology community for building the platform



Awards:

- Semi-Finalist at the Rice Business Plan Competition 2014 (http://alliance.rice.edu/rbpc.aspx); currently under mentorship program from the Rice Business Plan Competition.



- Top 40 Startup Finalist for DEMO Africa 2014 (www.demoafrica2014.com) to present in Lagos, Nigeria in September 2014.

Tifany Tong

Agnieszka Łyniewska


Team

Combined, we have 10+ years of experience in Tanzania, especially in private sector development. Whether in the field, in the city, with private companies or public organizations, we have the business savvy, technical skills, experience, and passion to make Nikweli happen.



Our two co-founders are Tiffany Tong and Agnieszka Łyniewska.

Agnieszka is the original founder of Nikweli. She worked as a private sector development economist at the World Bank in Tanzania and as a strategy consultant in London and Spain. She finished her MBA at London Business School. Apart from the original idea and passion to implement it, she brings to Nikweli business acumen, management skills as well as relationships and knowledge of Tanzanian business environment.



Tiffany is the other co-founder of Nikweli. She has lived in East Africa (Tanzania and Uganda) for over 4 years, working in operations in rural villages and capital cities; with donors and private companies. She most recently coordinated an impact evaluation research project with the World Bank in Tanzania. She brings detailed local knowledge and hard-earned project implementation skills to Nikweli.





Development Stack

Confidential



Contact/Social Media/Job Openings

Web: http://nikweli.com or https://vc4africa.biz/ventures/nikweli/

Twitter: @Nikweli_tz

Facebook: /nikweli.tz

Or email us at info@nikweli.com