The news:
- MPost, a tech startup that transforms mobile numbers into virtual addresses, has announced the launch of its electronic post office (P.O.) Box system in Rwanda to help people in the East African country access advanced postal experience.
- The digital postal service firm’s service is expected to help Rwanda surmount its long-standing postal service challenges.
- The development is coming after the company moved its headquarters from Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya, to Norrsken House in Kigali, Rwanda, in November 2023.
Explaining the reason for the relocation, Twahir Mohamed, MPost's founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), stated that moving would help position the firm in Rwanda to expand across the rest of Africa.
Reports, however, indicated that regulatory issues back in Kenya may have also contributed to the decision to relocate.
Founded in 2016, the MPost platform enables individuals and businesses to convert their mobile numbers into official virtual addresses, which lets clients get notifications whenever they get mail through their postal addresses.
With its new e-P.O. Box service in Rwanda, individuals and businesses can now receive mail and parcels directly using their mobile phone numbers, without needing the conventional physical post office boxes, the same way it operates in Kenya.
MPost currently provides digital addressing, postal, logistics, and eCommerce services in Kenya, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Given that less than 1% of Rwandans have access to a post office, the newly established electronic option is expected to benefit in the country.
MPost's new services, which allow people to conveniently manage their mail via instant SMS alerts, will attempt to address long-standing postal service challenges, such as limited accessibility, which has left a significant gap in the sector.
Especially notable is that the electronic P.O. Box launch comes at a time when the Rwandan government is pushing for technology to enhance public service.
Iposita, the National Post Office, unveiled its own electronic P.O. Box on May 10, 2024, to extend its services from Kigali to reach remote areas in the country.
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If Rwandans take to MPost’s digital postal solution, the company expects it to improve performance across sectors, help local businesses thrive, and establish Rwanda as an emerging force in East African digital commerce.
"The system's efficiency will reduce logistical challenges and operational costs for e-commerce platforms, encouraging more start-ups and established companies to invest in Rwanda's digital economy," MPost official statement noted.
