My friend Mbwana told me this at dinner. We were at his favorite Indian restaurant in Nairobi, and I was discussing the fact that the mobile lending space was getting crowded with new entrants, all who are using android apps. Our product uses USSD exclusively, which means you have to dial a shortcode to get to the menu. It doesn’t look great, and it’s a pretty poor user experience. But when Mbwana told me that USSD is like email for the Kenyan market, it clicked that our product was in fact perfectly placed for our target market.
USSD is like email in Kenya because USSD is ubiquitous. People have to use USSD on a day to day basis. They use it to send Airtel Money, they use it to buy their data, voice and sms bundles, and they use it access dozens of other products on mobile. Much like email, people don’t necessarily enjoy using it, but because they’ve been using it so long, it’s an accepted experience that they put up with. What’s more, our type of product works particularly well on USSD. It’s a linear experience that doesn’t require the user to navigate complicated menus. It’s not a game, its a step by step process. That lends it self well to the product. Email is still used across the world, and will continue to be used for a long time. I think USSD will be the same. People are familiar with it, and it works well.