Mpost has announced that it is relocating its headquarters from Nairobi to Kigali, Rwanda. The company says Rwanda’s favourable startup environment is what influenced it to make the move. This is good news for Rwanda but bad news for Kenya. Mpost Rwanda will be operating from Norrsken House Kigali.
Mpost provides virtual addresses using mobile numbers linked to postal codes in Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi. The company started operations back in 2016 making postal services more accessible. For instance, if your phone number is 0722000000, your MPost address will be P. O. Box 2540722000000-XXXXXX. The XXXXXX here is your preferred post office code, if you use Nairobi GPO, that will be 00100.
In a statement, Mpost says the move to Rwanda underscores its commitment to innovation and pursuit of an optimal environment to foster sustained growth. Kenya seems not to have been the optimal environment for its operations.
The company added that Rwanda has and is committed to supporting innovation. The country provides a conducive environment for tech entrepreneurs. Renowned for its burgeoning tech ecosystem marked with a vibrant startup community, Rwanda emerges as an ideal landscape for MPost to expand its operations.
“We are excited about the opportunities that this strategic move brings, and we are honoured to be hosted at Norrsken,” Twahir Mohamed, Founder of MPost commented, “This decision serves as our launchpad into Africa, and we look forward to contributing to Kigali’s thriving business community while leveraging the support and resources available at Norrsken to propel MPost to new heights.”
Rwanda Startup Act
Recently, Rwanda proposed a new Startup Act that seeks to accelerate development of the country’s tech-based services industry. According to The New Times, one incentive seeks to exempt players in the ecosystem from paying value added tax, and corporate income tax to limit administrative costs and increase working capital. For startups, this may be very lucrative as they get to save money.
With Rwanda actively seeking to attract startups, countries like Kenya should also do the same if we are to compete with our neighbors. We can’t just sit and hope things work out without a deliberate and intentional effort to be competitive.
Also Read: MPost Increases Subscription Charges From Ksh 300 to 400
