Cameroonian startup Hellocater has launched an online marketplace for catering services that makes it easy for businesses and individuals to connect with reliable caterers and restaurants.
Launched in June, Hellocater lists caterers for a variety of different types of functions, including meetings, weddings, funerals and coffee mornings, and allows users to choose based on best fit and previous client reviews.
The self-funded startup is for now operating in Douala and Yaounde, but plans to expand to other Cameroonian cities in the coming months. Currently free, Hellocater will soon begin charging a five per cent commission on bookings made through its platform.
Co-founder Jim Bakoume said uptake has been slow but steady as people get to know the platform and what it has to offer.
“The major difficulty is to get good caterers listed on the platform. There are several caterers out there, but not all have good reviews,” he said.
Nonetheless, he feels the potential is there for the business to take off.
“During our testing period, we worked with one caterer who earned US$20,000,” said Bakoume.
