Cross-border traders depend on regularly changing information on trade procedures, prices, exchange rates, market opportunities, cooperative services and financial products. Information is often dispersed between customs and other government offices, market actors and development services. Finding the correct source can take time that small businesses cannot easily spare.

An IOM needs assessment highlighted demand for information points at border locations where traders could identify available services, find office directions and contact details, and access appropriate support. These needs are particularly pronounced among traders who have limited digital literacy, use basic mobile phones, are unfamiliar with formal trade procedures or need assistance navigating administrative services.

Women and other vulnerable groups also need accessible information about health and psychosocial services, alongside everyday business information. A viable system needed to accommodate different languages, literacy levels and preferred channels without separating economic information from relevant protection and social-service resources.

Sauti developed three connected information interfaces: an interactive USSD service, automated WhatsApp information workflows and a touchscreen information booth designed for installation in an accessible location. The digital platform uses a common information approach but adapts the user experience for people accessing the service from personal phones or a physical kiosk.

Content categories and service functions include:

• Trade information: border procedures, East African Community trade guidance and relevant service-provider contacts;
• Market intelligence: commodity prices, exchange rates and weather information;
• Business and financial knowledge: financial literacy, cooperative management and information on economic opportunities;
• Social support: contacts, directions and information about health, referral and other services available to traders; and
• Multilingual accessibility: touchscreen language choices including Kinyarwanda, English, Swahili and Luganda.

The development process combined the IOM needs assessment with service mapping, simplified language, interface prototyping, programme consultation and technical testing. Sauti demonstrated the booth prototype to IOM and other stakeholders, including a simulator showing the proposed navigation. The team also explored optional voice-based or natural-language assistance while distinguishing these potential enhancements from functions completed under the agreed core scope.

In parallel, Sauti worked on system configuration, session flows, content administration and technical integration. Deployment considerations included kiosk hardware, the registration and verification of a local WhatsApp business number, and the translation and validation of information in locally relevant languages.