Growth

Scaling Fresh Produce Delivery Across Kigali

Jean Baptiste Mugabo• Co-Founder & Operations Manager, Kigali Fresh

January 10, 2025

• 4 min read

Before HUP

Daily Orders50 orders

Missed Deliveries5-8 per week

Customer Complaints15-20 per month

Staff CoordinationManual dispatch

After HUP

Daily Orders100+ orders

Missed DeliveriesZero

Customer Complaints2-3 per month

Staff CoordinationAutomated notifications

Jean Baptiste Mugabo and his business partner started Kigali Fresh in 2022 with a simple mission: deliver farm-fresh produce to busy Kigali residents within hours of harvest. The concept was popular from day one, but as demand grew, their manual delivery coordination system couldn't keep up. Missed deliveries, confused drivers, and frustrated customers were becoming the norm.

The Breaking Point

By mid-2024, Kigali Fresh was processing about 50 orders per day—a respectable number, but far below their potential. The problem wasn't demand; it was execution. Jean Baptiste was manually assigning deliveries to drivers via phone calls and text messages, often leading to confusion. 'We'd have drivers showing up at the wrong address, or two drivers going to the same location while another area was completely missed,' he explains. The team was missing 5-8 deliveries per week, leading to refunds, wasted produce, and damaged reputation. Customer complaints were piling up, and Jean Baptiste knew something had to change.

The Search for a Solution

Jean Baptiste tried several delivery management apps, but they were either too expensive, required constant internet connectivity (a challenge in some Kigali neighborhoods), or weren't designed for the fresh produce business model. 'We needed something that understood our specific challenges—time-sensitive deliveries, route optimization for Kigali's roads, and the ability to work even when drivers were in areas with poor connectivity,' he says. That's when a customer who worked in tech recommended HUP.

Implementation and Immediate Impact

HUP's real-time push notification system was a game-changer. As soon as an order came in, the system automatically notified the nearest available driver with all the details—customer address, order contents, and optimal route. Drivers could accept orders with a single tap, and customers received instant updates on their delivery status. 'The first day we used HUP, we processed 65 orders without a single missed delivery,' Jean Baptiste recalls with a smile. 'Our drivers loved it because they weren't constantly on the phone with me, and customers loved the transparency.'

Doubling Down on Growth

With the operational chaos under control, Kigali Fresh could finally focus on growth. They expanded their delivery area to cover more neighborhoods, added new product lines (fresh juices and prepared salads), and hired additional drivers. The streamlined system meant they could handle 100+ orders per day with the same level of coordination that previously struggled with 50. 'HUP scaled with us effortlessly,' Jean Baptiste notes. 'We didn't need to change our process or add more management staff—the system just handled the increased volume.'

The Numbers Tell the Story

Six months after implementing HUP, the results speak for themselves: daily orders have doubled from 50 to over 100, missed deliveries have dropped to zero, and customer complaints have decreased by 85%. More importantly, customer satisfaction scores have soared, with many customers praising the reliable delivery times and real-time tracking. 'Our repeat customer rate is now over 70%,' Jean Baptiste shares proudly. 'People trust us to deliver on time, every time.'

Looking Ahead

Kigali Fresh is now planning to expand beyond Kigali to other cities in Rwanda, starting with Huye and Musanze. 'We know we can do it because HUP gives us the infrastructure to manage multiple locations without losing control,' Jean Baptiste says. The company is also exploring partnerships with more farms and considering a subscription model for regular customers. 'None of this would be possible without getting our operations right first. HUP was the foundation that made everything else possible.'

“The first day we used HUP, we processed 65 orders without a single missed delivery. Our drivers loved it because they weren't constantly on the phone with me, and customers loved the transparency.”
— Jean Baptiste Mugabo, Co-Founder of Kigali Fresh

Kigali Fresh's journey from 50 chaotic orders to 100+ seamless deliveries per day demonstrates the power of the right technology. By eliminating missed deliveries and streamlining coordination, HUP allowed the team to focus on what matters most: delivering fresh, quality produce to happy customers. As they prepare for regional expansion, Jean Baptiste and his team are confident that their operational foundation is solid.

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