Bongalo, a short-term accommodation online booking platform has launched to make accomodation reservation in Kigali, Rwanda easy.
The online booking platform, Bongalo is the first accommodation booking platform in the country and aims to become Africa’s go-to short-term accommodation booking platform.
According to founder and CEO Nghombombong Minuifuong, “Price and comfort are of utmost concern for every traveler searching for accommodation and it’s what Bongalo has based its promise on. We realize that hotel rooms are expensive and do not offer a local experience, which is very valued by travelers.”
The founder adds that existing booking platforms do not offer easy payment methods for African travelers. They also have limited Payout options for local hosts such as PayPal and Payoneer. Bongalo is building a community around People, Travel, and Cultural experience to make travel much more enjoyable and create cultural bonding between guests and their hosts.
The company is focusing on travelers and hosts within the African continent, by leveraging the inclusive Fintech solution of Mobile money wallet payment introduced by Telcos, which has gained strong ground in Africa. Users on Bongalo can book accommodation and pay with a mobile money account. Similarly, hosts can be paid directly to their local bank account or mobile money account.
Bongalo supports mobile money payments in Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, and with the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak and social distancing measures being enforced, mobile payments make it safe for travelers to book and travel safely without human interactions. This makes private home bookings the safest accommodation options for travelers.
Launched in Rwanda, Bongalo plans to expand its services across the continent to serve as many travelers as possible.