SweepSouth (https://sweepsouth.com/), a South African on-demand cleaning service, just closed a seed round and claims double digit monthly growth. (http://bit.ly/1zN0IWP). Nairobi has no fewer than four such cleaning/errand running companies. Twitter: @IsamadoHC @TasKwetu @kibaruanow @JuaKaliWorkers. Any in Lagos? Are such services going to be as competitive a market as the taxi/car service hailing biz has become in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya?
There isn’t any in Nigeria that’s on the internet. How are those in Kenya and South Africa dealing with identity issues and staff/cleaner verification?
I know for one that errands/chores as services startups available via web and mobile are very needed in these places, but like @seyitaylor said, staff IDs and verification are the bane of these ventures in Nigeria. In Kenya, every person is issued a national ID card at age 18, and it is by this means that they transact business, sign up for services, access public utilities and generally live their lives. Everybody is profiled, has a record in “the system” and can be traced. Which is one of the big reasons M-pesa can be used to not only carry out simple commercial transactions but also to extend credit and micro-loans.
In contrast, Nigeria still does not have a national ID card that is universal, which increases the verification burden for every single thing. Banks, telcos, insurance companies and even hotels require all sorts of documents just to verify that you are who you are and that you can be found where you say you can.
In Lagos however, www.tranzit.ng is almost exactly like Sendy. @seyitaylor probably forgot that we use them all the time to courier stuff.
Identity issue can not be the stumbling block to launching an on-demand cleaning service.
Aren’t there already businesses in Nigeria that employ people and do background checks by way of Guarantors?
In addition to a national identity card (which helps in doing background checks with police and other government agencies), some companies do in-person interviews with potential service employees, recruit from established networks that improve chances of finding someone upstanding (no guarantee :)) like churches, Saccos, etc. And, one startup I know provides insurance to cover each worker in the event that damage is done to the home. Finally, customer ratings help weed out some.
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www.tushcleaners.com here in Lagos, Nigeria
I can’t just help but giggle at the instant imagery that comes to mind each time I see this name. 
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