Fixo! Founder Chronicles

As part of my journey as Co-Founder (together with Arnold Nyakundi) of Fixo Solutions Limited, I've had the opportunity to personally interact and onboard nearly 200 Fundis (Handymen) onto the Fixo platform.

This experience has buttressed my view about the tremendous potential within Africa’s handyman sector and also highlighted the significant challenges our Fundis face daily.

In these few weeks of onboarding Fundis, it has become very evident just how fragmented and unorganised the Fundi market is. Many of the Fundis we had the opportunity of interacting with are trapped in a cycle of unstable income and underemployment - relying on sporadic referrals, spending days without substantial work. This reality underscores the pressing need to build a structured system that provides consistent and fair opportunities for these Fundis.

Perhaps the most striking observation was discovering that more than 60% of the Fundis I met learned their skills informally, through direct hands-on experience rather than formal education or certification. While this reflects incredible resourcefulness and resilience, it also exposes an opportunity for structured training and certification programs to empower Fundis effectively.

I also witnessed a substantial digital gap with many Fundis struggling with basic digital skills, operating damaged phones with broken screens which significantly limit their access to opportunities. Observing this firsthand has reinforced my belief that Fixo will give these Fundis practical digital skills that will enable them see meaningful economic growth in their lives.

We also recognized  clear financial hurdles many Fundis faced, especially their inability to afford crucial documents like Police Clearance Certificates necessary for onboarding onto our platform. We chose to cover such costs, ensuring financial limitations didn't exclude deserving Fundis from valuable opportunities.

Reflecting on these experiences, I am more convinced than ever that Fixo is not just a business but a vital mission aligned with promoting decent work for our Fundis,  enabling them to be finacially included and providing a platform for them to access quality education and training.

Every interaction, every story shared by our Fundis, reinforces my belief in the transformative potential of our platform across the handyman sector across Africa.

Levi Nyakundi
Co-Founder & CEO
Fixo! Solutions Ltd.