01
Umutungo
Property software for landlords and agencies in Rwanda: rent, leases, expenses, and maintenance in one place — with a public listings site to fill vacant units.
2026productshipped
Case study
Umugina
A Rwanda marketplace where shoppers see what local sellers stock, at what price, and where — before they leave home. Businesses list catalogs; agents earn on attributed sales.
2026productshipped
Role: Product design and engineering
Umugina
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Shoppers
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Explore & compare
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Shop catalogs
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Agents
Shoppers find local stock first; businesses list catalogs; agents earn on referred sales.
Audience
Shoppers comparing local inventory, shops publishing catalogs, and sales agents who earn commission on referred sales.
Context
Umugina is a three-sided marketplace based in Kigali. Customers browse real listings with prices, stock status, and seller locations. Businesses publish searchable catalogs instead of relying on social posts. Sales agents get referral codes and track commissions when attributed sales complete.
Problem
People still walk shop to shop hoping something is in stock. Local businesses post on social media, but those posts are hard to search, compare, or trust — so trips stay guesswork.
Constraints
- Support discover-then-visit as much as online checkout
- Serve customers, businesses, and sales agents without collapsing the roles
- Trust language must match what verification actually covers
Role and scope
RURANGO contribution: Product design and engineering.
- Marketplace experience for umugina.com
- Customer discovery and comparison
- Business catalog publishing and agent earning flows
Approach
Lead with exploration: categories, recently added listings, stock, and map-linked destinations. Give businesses a place to publish structured SKUs. Give agents a workspace for referrals and payouts.
Key decisions
Discovery before the trip
The product is not trying to replace every visit to a physical shop. It helps people know what is available and where to go — then they visit or buy.
Catalogs instead of feed posts
Searchable products with price, stock, and location beat another scroll through WhatsApp or Instagram.
Agents as a real path
Referral codes and commission tracking sit next to buyer and seller flows, so growth is not an informal side channel.
Implementation
The live site includes explore, category browsing, cart and sign-in, plus account paths for shoppers, sellers, and agents. Listings cover electronics, fashion, home, and more from named shops in places like Kigali and Musanze.
- Product explore by category
- Seller locations and stock status
- Business catalog publishing
- Sales agent referral and commission tracking
- Verification badges as a trust signal
Outcomes
- Live marketplace at umugina.com with real local listings
- Clear roles for customers, businesses, and sales agents
Limited to what is publicly verifiable — no invented metrics.
Reflection
- Price alone is not enough — shoppers need a destination and stock truth.
- Verification should be described as a review signal, not a guarantee of quality or delivery.
Related work
Continue exploring
Retail software for shops that grow beyond one till: point of sale, inventory, customer credit, and reporting across stores — currently in soft launch.
2026productsoft launch
Next step
Discuss a project or opportunity
If you have a product to build, improve, or launch — get in touch.