African tech entrepreneurs are developing solutions to ease daily business tasks. In Kenya, a fintech solution has been developed to help merchants operating in the informal sector with their bookkeeping tasks. 

Leja is a fintech solution developed by Kenyan startup Asilimia. It allows merchants operating in the informal sector to record their cash inflows and outflows. 

“I use it to write down my statements. Sometimes my supplier calls me to find out how much products he sold me two or three weeks ago. Thanks to Asilimia, it's easy, I go to the app and I find the transaction. [...]  Before, I had to write everything down in a notebook, but it's easy to lose it. While these readings are important, it allows me to see at the end of each month whether I am selling at a loss or making a profit,” indicated Judy Achieng, a Leja user. 

The solution has an Android app that allows merchants to record their transactions. Leja integrates M-Pesa, the popular mobile money wallet in Kenya.  Asilimia also plans to add other mobile money providers as well as banks to enable merchants to collect payments. 

To use the Leja app, merchants must create an account by filling some personal information. The process is crucial because merchants can access microloans through Leja as microfinance institutions and banks can monitor the evolution of users’ businesses.

In Kenya, Asilimia claims more than 50,000 people are using Leja. It also plans to roll out a USSD Code to enable access to its services for rural populations. 

Its services cost US$3.5 monthly. Since its creation in 2017, it has raised nearly US$2.5 million to support its development.  This year, it is one of the startups selected for the second cohort of the Google for Startups Black Founders Fund for Africa.

Adoni Conrad Quenum