Inspired by a service he found incredibly useful during his time in the Middle East, a tech entrepreneur returned to his home country to launch Fikaso Plus.

Fikaso Plus, a mobile application developed by the Malian startup Fikaso, offers a solution for residents of Bamako to order food from local restaurants and have it delivered. The startup, founded in 2019 by Mahamadou Cissé, was born out of a simple observation.

“During my stays in Mali, I often struggled to find food, either due to a lack of knowledge about the available restaurants or the desire to avoid the city’s notorious traffic,” Cissé explains. “The real catalyst, however, was during a visit to the Near East, specifically Abu Dhabi, where I became accustomed to using a food delivery app.”

The Fikaso app, available on iOS and Android –already downloaded more than 5,000 times– addresses this issue. After downloading the app, users create an account with their personal information. They can then browse partner restaurants on the platform to place their order. Users input their commune and neighborhood into the search bar to receive a list of relevant restaurants based on their geographic location.

By selecting “Commandez maintenant (Order Now),” users can view the menu, dish prices, restaurant operating hours, and reviews from other users. Fikaso Plus also features a digital wallet for paying restaurant bills and delivery fees.

In addition to food orders, Fikaso offers other services such as parcel delivery and on-demand mobility. Users can order a taxi or motorcycle taxi online for errands. The startup plans to expand to other cities to support its growth in the local market before potentially venturing overseas.

Cissé believes in the power of technological innovation. “Technological advancements level the playing field; so-called underdeveloped countries can benefit from the same progress as developed countries. As such, African youth should not merely be playing catch-up; they should be leading the charge,” Cissé says.

Adoni Conrad Quenum