[kictanet] Would sorting out physical addressing lead to exponential growth in Nairobi?

[Adam Nelson]

My Door Handle is attempting to address this very problem:

http://mydoorhandle.com/

However, Andy brings up an important point.  The fact that one can get
pizza from Naked Pizza or Hashmi or Chowpaty (excellent vegetarian Indian
food btw) actually betrays the problem.  These are local businesses with
local knowledge.

The purpose of a standard addressing system is to allow anybody to find a
residential or commercial location in order to service them quickly and
without requiring deep local expertise.  It's not just boda boda drivers
who need to know how to find places, software developers writing delivery
routines in Germany need to know, and American scientists doing water
distribution projects need to know, and Indian cell tower planners need to
know.

The answer to the question, "does the lack of a physical addressing system
stifle the potential in Nairobi?" is a qualified "yes".  Companies will
find a way around the problem, and they'll keep on doing it so the
potential of Nairobi isn't completely stifled.

Nonetheless, this is one of the problems that simply has to be solved and
the only question is 'when', not 'if'.  I personally think it's incumbent
on government leaders to be tackling all of the 'when' problems now because
every year that they wait is simply another year of lower efficiency that
could have been used to "promote the general Welfare".

-Adam
---
OpenStack for Africa: http://signup.kili.io
Musings: https://twitter.com/varud
About Adam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcnelson


On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 1:02 PM, Andrea Bohnstedt <
andrea.bohnstedt at ratio-magazine.com> wrote:

> Ask the people who deliver things?
>
> Naked Pizza and Hashmi have stored my address with my phone number - and
> yes, it contains my formal street address plus the details on how to find
> it. When I place an order, they reconfirm that I'm still at the same
> address. Plus their delivery person usually has my phone number with him
> just in case he gets lost (yay for technology - and pizza, obvs).
>
> I think it's a bit more tedious the first time you order when you have to
> give detailed directions - but if a company is smart and saves those, then
> that cuts down on processing time with each additional order.
>
> On 20 May 2013 12:49, Andy G <andy.gesora at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>  So Nairobi is the most advanced city in East and Central Africa.... So
>> JP Morgan has just been granted a licence to setup a rep office in
>> Nairobi.... So most of the iNGO's and corporates have set up in Nairobi....
>> So Nairobi is the pioneer in alternative payment systems aka mPesa....
>>
>> But does the lack of a physical addressing system stifle the potential in
>> Nairobi? CCN previously tried  address most buildings in town, but no one
>> ever quotes the "22 Kimathi Street" when corresponding.
>>
>> A majority of tech startups in Kenya today are web based, with mobile
>> technology (payment systems) providing an overwhelming support system. A
>> friend once quoted as saying 95% of his online payments were on mobile
>> money. We have lots of tech companies that have tried building solutions to
>> make it easier for Nairobi's consumers.... from ordering food online, to
>> shopping, to casual labour, to ticketing... name it. But the achilles heel
>> always remains addressing. Where do i as a tech startup owner send your
>> goods to in Buruburu once you have bought? Or if i have a party and order
>> for drinks online, how does someone deliver in some flats named "Pearl
>> apartments" deep in langata on a nodescript dirt road?
>>
>> Would perhaps naming of streets and physical addressing help solve lots
>> of issues in Nairobi as well as create many mid level startups and thus
>> jobs that we are so desperately seeking?
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Andrea Bohnstedt <http://ke.linkedin.com/in/andreabohnstedt>
> Publisher
>
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> www.africa-assets.com
>
>
>
>
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> The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform
> for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and
> regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT
> sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
>
> KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors
> online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth,
> share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do
> not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
>
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