Matatu Business

I know some of you have been in this business, some have thrived while some have crashed and burned. I am thinking of getting into this business in the next 6 months or so. I have heard all the sob stories how some guy bought a mat and it crashed on the first week, how thieving crew looted, mungikis and whatnot but i still believe this can be a viable and profitable business especially now that we have saccos. I am usually free between 9 a.m to 4 p.m so i can use that time to check on the business. Please if you have any experience in this industry, i will appreciate your insights. I will also check out wazua i believe there is a thread on this.

2 Likes

http://wazua.co.ke/forum.aspx?g=posts&t=6797

4 Likes

I also wonder is the matatu business now better with the SACCOs or worse?

1 Like

What kind of matatu business do you want to get into?

Not unless you will be driving the Matatu yourself then give it a shot, however be ready to pay bribes to the OCPD/OCS, and traffic cops, stage keepers (mungiki’s) 20bob charge, Kanjo eeeh…the list is endless.

Or you could try the shuttle thing to either eldoret, kisumu, meru its a safer bet and the returns will be consistent albeit slow.

1 Like

http://wazua.co.ke/Images/Emoticons/eusa_naughty.gif

1 Like

[ATTACH=full]22854[/ATTACH]

16 Likes

Not a business for the faint hearted . If you are ok with investing your hard gotten cash only for others to reap where they did not sow, then go for it.

2 Likes

I don’t mind paying all those people as long as i am making profit.

Once wanted to venture in it. Sought advice from a mzee who had been in the business for a long time. He summarized his advice as follows…Before the matatu hits the road, go and buy/make two chairs. Leave one at the mechanic, and the other at the police station, coz that is where you will be spending most of your time/money. I ventured in another field!

17 Likes

:D:D:D

Buda umeona matatu ngapi kwa rodi??? Na izo c zina wenyewe?? Na kuna mtu anaeza eka gare kwa rodi ikiwa inaleta hasara?? No so achana na naysayers…

Tuanze unataka kuleta nganya aina gane fh(Kama za yole), nqr, 14 seater, kama za githu ama??

Kabla niende sana io chuma itakua manyanga ama moshogi?

3 Likes

Hata kwa SACCO, you’re still responsible for your own mat.

1 Like

Matatu business is good…but do not buy a locally used matatu, utaumia. Buy a new one and let it serve the long distance routes, i.e. meru, nyeri, nakuru, etc. The returns are consistent and less stressfull join those big saccos that have been there for ages e.g. 2NK.
If you do this, the capital will be intensive but atleast you can project your returns.

5 Likes

Mimi my uncle simply warned me never to invest in anything that comes with an engine.

5 Likes

This same issue was widely discussed in the old village (that ‘mbathi’ respose to greetings still makes me chuckle). The question I asked then, as now, is: who owns those numerous mats that get you to your destination daily? Are they more human than you are? Are you a child of a lesser God? Ama hii hofu naona ni ya nini?

5 Likes

From what i gather the management part is what will make or break the business, I will be managing the business personally, I will be doing the servicing in person. Business is not supposed to be easy otherwise everybody will be in business.

3 Likes

Anyway there’s no harm in trying

[ATTACH=full]22860[/ATTACH]

4 Likes

Ensure you personally supervise and manage the biz, at least in the early days. Do not delegate. This will enable you to set high standards from very early on with all fellows concerned, be they your employees, your suppliers, your mechanics, etc. Once these standards have been set and reaffirmed time and again, no one will dare cut corners in your absence. Some things you should NEVER EVER compromise on; I’ll give you one: drunkenness while on duty.

Go through that thread, it’ll more or less answer all your queries.

2 Likes

I have no experience but from outside looking in I think the medium to long distance matatus are easier to manage hizi za Nanyuki, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kisumu Eldoret etc. Wanalipishwa kwa Stage, dere anajaza tank or whatever and they are off i.e. ukiziwek kwa Sacco kama 2NK. It is also easier to project the income. Hapa tao so many shifting variables too many you can never keep track.

3 Likes