LG has expressed interest in seeing increased adoption of digital laundromats in Kenya. With this, the company hopes to formalize the informal “mamafua” industry.
This follows a growing demand for laundry services among an increasingly affluent middle-income market with limited time to do laundry but with a desire to have their laundry done professionally and at an affordable rate. To date, through Hotpoint, LG has so far supported the expansion of Laundromats in Buruburu, TRM, and Hurlingham.
Speaking during the delivery of the state-of-the-art washing machines with top technology and innovative features to Mamafua Laundromat in Langata, LG Electronics Home Appliances Product Manager Mr Eden Seo said, “Our decision to offer laundry solutions to Mamafua laundromat is inspired by our desire to see our customers live the better life that they deserve. Besides, we are passionate about empowering the informal “Mama Fua” market to deliver clean, gentle clothing care solutions while enabling the fast growth of Kenya’s laundry industry. We hope that by making good use of our dryer and washer machines, this laundromat will create jobs for more Kenyans, and at the same time easily meet their day-to-day laundry needs”.
Among the appliances delivered by LG in the Mamafua laundromat is the commercial dryer which uses high-temperature air to sanitize clothes of germs and bacteria. LG’s laundromat technology also comes with a digital app that allows customers to monitor the progress of their laundry remotely and make a pick-or-drop call. The shop operators can also manage their business off-site in real-time and promptly track and resolve technical issues.
In collaboration with Mamafua laundromat, LG Electronics today led the official opening of the laundromat’s first branch in Langata. To create social impact in the community, the laundromat has adopted a social entrepreneurship model it employs actual mamafuas and boda-boda riders who have been taken through rigorous training in customer care and machine operations before being offered formal employment.
Giving his remarks at the launch of Mamafua laundromatic director Jack Shihundu, Said, “We are more than happy to open our flagship branch in Langata and offer long-lasting laundry solutions in this neighbourhood. More so affordable services from as low as Kes 1,000 for a 7 Kilogram of laundry. We will be open 7 days a week, 8.00 am-8.00 pm and have placed measures in place to ensure that our customers receive back their laundry within 24 hours at no extra cost”.
The laundromat caters to the needs of the densely populated neighbourhoods in Langata, where many are yet to have washing machines in their homes or want alternative everyday washing done conveniently. Besides, an experience at the laundromat is designed to ease time consumed while washing clothes which denies most people quality time that would be better spent with loved ones or travelling for business.
Besides, it has a fleet of branded vans and motorbikes that coordinate the movement of customer laundry from their homes to the laundromat as a way of improving service delivery and customer experience. Its set-up has been designed to offer customers a smarter, safer way of doing laundry while serving both single individuals and working couples with families.
As part of its expansion plans, the laundromat seeks to open five more branches across the country by the end of the first quarter of 2023 and have 10 more branches across Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania by the end of 2023.
