So Nairobi is the most advanced city in East and Central Africa.... So JP Morgan has just been granted a licence to setup a rep office in Nairobi.... So most of the iNGO's and corporates have set up in Nairobi.... So Nairobi is the pioneer in alternative payment systems aka mPesa....
But does the lack of a physical addressing system stifle the potential in Nairobi? CCN previously tried address most buildings in town, but no one ever quotes the "22 Kimathi Street" when corresponding.
A majority of tech startups in Kenya today are web based, with mobile technology (payment systems) providing an overwhelming support system. A friend once quoted as saying 95% of his online payments were on mobile money. We have lots of tech companies that have tried building solutions to make it easier for Nairobi's consumers.... from ordering food online, to shopping, to casual labour, to ticketing... name it. But the achilles heel always remains addressing. Where do i as a tech startup owner send your goods to in Buruburu once you have bought? Or if i have a party and order for drinks online, how does someone deliver in some flats named "Pearl apartments" deep in langata on a nodescript dirt road?
Would perhaps naming of streets and physical addressing help solve lots of issues in Nairobi as well as create many mid level startups and thus jobs that we are so desperately seeking?