The success of platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com has ignited a fire among African tech entrepreneurs. Recognizing the significant growth of the tourism sector and the rising need for short-term accommodation for both leisure and business travel, these entrepreneurs are seizing the opportunity to develop innovative solutions.

Camansa, a digital solution developed by an Ivorian startup, provides users with the ability to locate short-term accommodations for vacations or business trips across various cities in Côte d'Ivoire. The startup, headquartered in Abidjan, was established by Aziz Doumbia, Khalifa Bayoko, and Yann Akoun.

“Our mission at Camansa is to connect travelers, tourists, hotels, and property owners through our booking platform. [...]We’ve developed a dedicated booking platform for hosts and travelers to streamline the reservation process and address common issues,” the startup explains.

For the time being, Camansa does not offer a mobile application, so users must access the web platform via a browser. While users can browse available properties on the site, an account is required to make reservations. Camansa collects necessary information to verify the identity of the account creator, whether for booking or hosting. Once verified, they can conduct their transactions on the platform.

The Ivorian startup offers a variety of accommodations to meet different client standards, ranging from hotels to villas and apartments owned by individuals. In addition to the properties displayed on the homepage, users can conduct more personalized searches. The website features a search bar where users can enter the city, arrival and departure dates, and the number of travelers, specifying the number of adults, children, and babies.

While using the platform is free, reservations carry a fee of 2,000 CFA Francs (approximately $3.30). The startup levies a commission of 10% from hotels and 15% from individual property owners. Payments can be made via credit cards or mobile money. Refund policies in the event of reservation cancellations are dependent on the terms of the property owner, whether a hotel or an individual.

Adoni Conrad Quenum