Building a business that delivers
Young Zimbabwean entrepreneur delves into China's technology and trade development to provide efficient logistics, helping bridge Sino-Africa ties, Zheng Zheng and Wu Wanzhen report.
The idea for Koki Delivery emerged in mid-2022, born from a persistent problem in African logistics. "It's always problematic to find efficient logistics from our country to any part of the world," Fungura explains.
The name "Koki" carries cultural significance. In Shona, one of Zimbabwe's official languages, it refers to the sound of knocking on someone's door, symbolizing their mission for a reliable delivery service.
With a startup capital of 250,000 yuan ($34,130), gathered from savings and support from family and friends, they began developing an e-commerce platform.
The development phase was intense, with Fungura and Marembo testing the system late into the night despite early morning classes.
"We had to be very thorough," Fungura emphasizes. "When a user tries something they're not familiar with, they don't want to deal with glitches."
The platform finally launched in February 2024, offering four main services — door-to-door delivery, importexport services, warehouse fulfillment, and e-commerce.
