By Mark Kawalya
In Kenya, the internet has become widely available and has positively impacted millions of people by creating various products that make daily work more convenient and provide a source of income.
With the penetration of feature phones and smartphones standing at 66.5% and 56.4% of the total population, respectively, as of Q1 2022/2023, the country’s internet infrastructure has facilitated the creation of e-taxi apps, payment services, logistics products, and other services.
One of the latest services seeking to leverage the benefits of the internet is deathcare services, also referred to as digital deathcare. This is the technology that handles end-of-life planning, funeral arrangements, and memorialization. It also includes online wills and estate planning tools, virtual funeral services, and digital memorials, such as online obituaries and social media tributes.
SafiriSalama.com, an emerging Kenyan startup, has launched an end-of-life platform offering digital death notices, memorials, and a funeral services directory. According to the platform, their tools will be useful in assisting individuals in outlining their end-of-life preferences.
“Africans tend to avoid discussions about death or end-of-life planning,” says John Nyongesa, the founder and CEO. “This lack of knowledge creates an opportunity for exploitation, as people are uninformed and emotionally vulnerable when a loved one passes away. No other business deals with such a vulnerable group.”
The startup has received $100,000 or KES 12.4 million from a US angel investor for product development and is now raising pre-seed funds to finance marketing, hiring, and product improvements.
The beta version of the SafiriSalama.com platform was released in November 2021, and the company is presently undertaking a one-year introduction and consolidation campaign in Kenya, after which it intends to extend its services to other African markets.
