With access to over 50,000 trucks across the African continent, meet Kobo360, Africa’s ‘Uber’ of trucks Ibrahim Kirabira is a supply chain professional with over 15 years of experience in the transport and logistics industry. He was in July 2022 appointed the Country Manager of Kobo360. Prior to that, he was since January 2021 the Sales and Marketing Manager for Uganda. Kobo360 is Africa's leading supply chain technology platform. Before joining Kobo360, he spent over 10 years with major logistics players such as M+R Spedag Group, DHL Supply Chain and Damara Logistics. This has allowed him to gain invaluable skills in the transport and logistics industry, especially strategic management, planning and communication, business analysis, process improvement, project management, international trade (import, export processes and documentation), health, environment and safety, warehousing, clearing, and forwarding, and customer relations. In this interview with CEO East Africa’s Muhereza Kyamutetera, he discusses why Kobo360 is an efficient and reliable partner for truck and cargo owners.

Kobo360 defines itself as Africa’s leading supply chain technology platform. In simple terms, what does that mean? What problems do you solve?

Kobo360 is a tech-enabled logistics platform that connects cargo owners with freight forwarding partners. 

With just a few clicks on our seamless mobile and web applications, cargo owners can simply request any truck type of their choice and have their goods picked up and delivered to the required destination.

Our company uses an Artificial Intelligence (Al) enabled omnichannel platform to connect cargo owners to verified transporters, thus providing reliability, visibility, efficiency, prompt payment, on-demand insurance, and other value-added services on each trip like fuel.  

Kobo360 seeks to solve the inefficiencies in Africa’s supply chain, by creating a platform that connects manufacturers and cargo owners with truck operators, to move their goods seamlessly across the continent.

What sets you apart? What value do you add? What does someone miss if they don’t use you? What difference do you make? 

Kobo360 provides an all-in-one logistics and vendor financing platform. 

We are able to use data and technology to drive efficiency and improve quality truck selections as well as guaranteed service delivery.

Our technology creates value for both customers and truck owners through an all-in-one simplified digital ecosystem that connects owners to shippers giving you access to the largest network of registered drivers, trucks, and end-to-end digital visibility and traceability of your goods.

Our services are powered by over 50,000 truck owners and delivery partners who are eager to deliver your freight to where it needs to be. Our network enables you to move freight seamlessly across the continent.

Who are the key sectors that you serve and or have served?  

Matter of fact, we serve everybody who has cargo to move across the continent and wants it to move efficiently and reliably. However from experience, the biggest users of our services, by sector, include construction and mining, FMCG, manufacturing, agro and agro-allied, chemical, oil and gas, maritime, as well as special projects.  

We operate in 19 African countries, and as such, we are also best-suited to clients with multi-country needs and or operations as well as exporters and importers. 

In the three years, you have been present in Uganda, what would you say are your key highlights and achievements- on the continent and in Uganda⏤ key facts and figures?

In the past 3 years of operations within the USD300 billion Africa/Middle East and North Africa) logistics market, Kobo has moved over 3 billion kg of goods which is well over USD140 million. 

What challenges have you faced, and what kind of help would you need to overcome them, and from whom do you need this help?  

As a startup, there are several all-to-familiar challenges, unique to startups, but there are also other systemic problems, namely. 

• Slow Tech Adoption: We are a tech-based solution⏤ drivers, truck owners and cargo owners, each has a different interface on their devices. We still face the challenge of drivers adopting to the App functionalities⏤ for some it’s on purpose since the App gives the truck owner visibility of the trips his truck has done and for others, it’s the inability to comfortably use the App. But we are increasingly seeing more and people warm up to the solution. 
• Unregistered Truckers: Several truck owners do not have registered businesses and yet on our platform we encourage onboarding of legally recognised business entities due to the nature of enterprises we attract, especially the big brands.
• Truck Conditions: Most truck owners, since they struggle with reliable jobs and cash flow, they struggle to maintain their trucks in a good and sound condition which becomes a limitation of onboarding them on our platform. 

Who are some key partners you think you can work with to enhance your purpose as well as solve some of these challenges?

This being an ecosystem solution, there is certainly room for other stakeholders to join hands with us, to further solve the above challenges, increase efficiency and increase uptake. They include: 

• Financial Institutions: Commercial banks and leasing firms would come in handy, to support trucking companies with asset financing if they trip on the Kobo360 platform. There’s demonstrable proof that Kobo360-registered trucks have more guaranteed business opportunities than their non-registered peers.   
• Insurance Firms: Insurance firms are invaluable partners in this ecosystem especially in as far as providing tailor-made insurance cover for trucks and cargo owners to smoothly facilitate the movement of cargo and assets with zero risk.