Startup Africa caught up with Victor Nkindi, Founder and CEO of Hooza, a digital media house based in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss about himself and his startup journey.
For those who don’t know you, tell us in few words: Who is Victor and what is Hooza?
I am a young entrepreneur using the power of the media to drive civic education in Rwanda. Hooza is a digital media house I created in 2013 that broadcasts mobile phone on-demand content.
What problem are you solving in Africa, in your country or your community?
We broadcast on-demand multimedia (audio and video) on subscription for mobile phone users in Rwanda, DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda.
We help African governments, private institutions and non-profit to reach out to the population using a two-way audio platform for mobile phone users (both smartphone and feature phones). The platform enables any user to listen to a short audio message and to revert using his/her own voice.
The solution is also a real-time data collection tool. It is very useful for nationwide campaigns for health, civic education, natural catastrophes…etc
Do you think this is the right time for your start-up to solve the problem?
Yes, it is the right time because we take advantage of the high Penetration’s rate of mobile phones in Africa to reach out to a maximum of people by using the audio channel and crossing the barrier of illiteracy. Our solution also solves the issue of data collection for government, helping them with real data collection.
Does your solution fit in the market? (Do people want it)?
Our solutions are very efficient and very needed by our institutions for marketing, awareness and communication campaigns.
Tell us more about your team, why are you the best to solve this problem?
Hooza is a media with a small team of 4 collaborators working in content development and broadcast. We are conscious that we are pioneers in mobile broadcast and that innovation is key to our development.
What makes you different in the market?
We are unique because mobile broadcast is new and no other media has experienced this channel. We are complementary to the existing mainstream channels.
How do you measure your success?
Hooza is an award-winning media house, we have been recognized by our peers in many African countries. Our platform is used also for daily news and entertainment, engaging thousands of subscribers.
How innovative is your start-up? (Technological/social innovation)
We have created a highly innovative communication tool. No other start-up is using mobile audio platforms for content broadcast. We believe our innovation is part of the future of radio and will be very helpful for governance.
What is the social impact of your start-up?
Hooza has been working with the Rwanda national electoral commission to run a nationwide civic education campaign during the 2017 presidential elections. Every day we broadcast short audio to thousands of subscriber, providing a wider access to information.
How are you scaling up the start-up?
Hooza is already operating out of Rwanda in Uganda, DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda. We are also increasing content categories to reach more users ie: mobile learning.
What advice do you leave for budding entrepreneurs and new start-ups?
My advice is for them keep the focus on their great idea and take time to develop in and adapt it to their target market.
Hooza team can be reached via www.hooza.rw and+250788537894.
