New platform launched in Kenya to help shoppers cut costs

A new shopping platform has officially been launched in Kenya, promising to help consumers access goods and services at highly discounted prices amid a tough economic climate.

The innovative platform allows users to buy commodities and services through group purchases or shared payments, making it easier for individuals and businesses to afford items that might otherwise be out of reach.

Dubbed Nuvv, the platform “is all about giving users access to high-cost goods and services, whether through Nuvv Group Buy (for discounts), or Nuvv Split Pay (for cost-sharing),” according to the management.

Kenya’s inflation rose slightly to 4.6 percent in September 2025, up from 4.5 percent in August, driven mainly by higher prices of vegetables. The new platform seeks to ease the burden of the rising cost of living by promoting social and community-based buying.

Nuvv operates two main features — Group Buy and Split Pay. Through Group Buy, users can connect with like-minded buyers on Nuvv Spaces, digital communities where members can jointly purchase products such as electronics, food, or farm inputs at discounted prices.

The company describes Nuvv Spaces as similar to Facebook or WhatsApp groups that “connect buyers, including strangers, who are looking for the same products.”

This allows both individual consumers and MSMEs across Africa to buy goods in bulk and have them delivered separately to each buyer. Sellers can also form Spaces to consolidate efforts and reach potential customers.

The Split Pay option enables users to share costs for purchases or events such as birthdays, weddings, baby showers, or charitable causes.

“A user simply loads their shopping cart with products, shares the link on social media, and from there, friends, family or even strangers can make contributions,” the company explained.

For instance, the platform noted that a student in need of school supplies could use Nuvv to crowdsource contributions from well-wishers by sharing a shopping cart link online.

“Nuvv is also revolutionary in the sense that it allows Africans in Africa to connect with their counterparts in the diaspora and get support when it comes to acquiring goods and services,” the management said.

The company added that it aims “to make goods and services more affordable to consumers globally,” while “making the marketplace more interactive, leveraging on social networking to connect buyers and sellers regardless of social and geographic differences.”