Interview with Dieudonné Kayembe, founder of Motema based in Kinshasa
This short article was added to TechCabal
Noel K. Tshianicreator of Congo Business Network, speaks in this special interview for TechCabal with Dieudonné Kayembe, creator of the start-up Motema. It intends to produce telephones and tables straight from Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Inform us a bit about yourself and your expert background.
My name is Dieudonné Kayembe Kabukala, handling director of Flèche Technologie (Flechtech) and Motema LLC. I am a computer system researcher who finished from the University of Kinshasa with a degree in mathematics and infotech. And I hold numerous patents, certificates, and benefits at both nationwide and worldwide levels. I am a young Congolese from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who originated from absolutely nothing, and I am an enthusiastic dreamer and visionary.
Knowledgeable about the abundant capacity of the underground and the tactical position that my nation inhabits in the centre of Africa, my dream is to offer the Democratic Republic of Congo with an effective innovation market and a digital training centre of referral.
I wish to establish a production and assembly plant to produce telephones and tablets in your area in Kinshasa.
What does your start-up do and why did you release it?
The task Motema belongs to the growth of the activities of Flèche Technologie, a Congolese start-up. This business runs in the technology development sector. It specialises in the style and production of digital gadgets such as telephones, smart devices, tablets, and laptop computers produced in your area under the Motema brand name.
The name Motema implies “heart” in Lingala, among the nationwide languages spoken in the DRC. This word embodies the enthusiasm and love that the developer of Motema has for the African continent in basic and for the Democratic Republic of Congo in specific.
The basic goal is to make our contribution to the realisation of the vision of the Head of State Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo “to make the Congolese digital sector a lever for combination, great governance, financial development, and social development”.
How are you going to resolve the issue of providing electrical power to your factory?
Of all, we selected to set up our production line in Gombe to fix the problem of electrical energy, since in Gombe we have actually excellent electrical energy compared to other locations in Kinshasa. In spite of this, we often have power cuts, and we utilize the generator and photovoltaic panels.
As far as skill is worried, where did you discover technical skill to operate in your start-up and do you have training for brand-new staff members?
To be competitive in the market, constant training is a commitment for us. We have actually a program called Motema Academy, a training centre for Congolese youths on digital tasks, with numerous modules on expert education.
What can the federal government do to support tech start-ups so that they can prosper?
The nationwide federal government can undoubtedly deal with the start-up environment to make sure that our activities flourish by developing on the promulgation of the law on start-ups that the President of the Republic implemented last September.
The steps to be considered consist of: putting in location a reliable structure to support Congolese start-ups; assisting in access to credit; offering exemptions; and providing much easier access to agreements for the supply of tablets, phones, and computer systems in all public and personal organizations.