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SWVL Appoints Dip Patel to head Kenya’s operations
SWVL has announced the appointment of Dip Patel as its General Manager, Kenya.
The move serves to solidify SWVL’s presence in the country and their commitment to helping develop a reliable and efficient technology platform serving mass transit systems for the Kenyan commuter.
Mostafa Kandil, SWVL Co-Founder and CEO, announced the appointment saying SWVL is excited to bring Dip on board to head the Kenyan business. “We see the Kenyan commuter market as one with great potential and with a gap that we are working to fill using technology. We, therefore, needed to carefully select an individual with extensive experience in the Kenyan tech space and a passion for impacting the daily lives of commuters. I am sure we have made the right choice,” he said.
Until his appointment at SWVL, Dip Patel was the Head of Growth at Apollo Agriculture – a Kenyan technology company that helps small-scale farmers maximize their profits.
Prior to that, he served as Uber’s Country Manager in Kenya having started as the company’s first Marketing Manager for East Africa, a role that saw him contribute to the brand’s launch and growth in the region.
His success led him to an Operations and Logistics Manager position at Uber through which he launched state-of-the-art support centres focusing on driver growth and engagement across East Africa.
Dip’s management style has shifted over his career to date when he has found an equilibrium with his team.
He is reportedly congenial and easy and is a great believer in being present enough to coach and give direction when needed.
Dip holds a Master of Science degree in Accounting, Organizations and Institutions from the London School of Economics and Political Science, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and International Politics from Vassar College in New York.
He is an International Baccalaureate Diploma from the Aga Khan Academy in Nairobi with an apparent passionate in implementing technological solutions to impact people’s daily lives.
Dip, joins SWVL at a time when the company has been going through a scuffle with National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA).
SWVL offers point-to-point shuttle services with users booking trips through mobile phones. They are then notified of the nearest pick-up point, price and time to board. It is popular with the Nairobi’s working-class keen to avoid the matatu chaos.
Last month, the firm added long-distance trips to Naivasha, Kisumu, Nakuru, Meru and Embu as well as multiple routes in Nairobi and outskirts. It already has 55 connections.
Last year, it secured Sh1.5 billion funding to finance an aggressive route expansion plan in Nairobi.
SWVL got into the Kenyan market in late 2018 and has been in operation since then. They started their operation I Kenya from Nairobi Garage // Westlands.
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