Kandua has launched Jess, an AI-powered home services companion in South Africa, with issue diagnosis, cost estimates, and vetted contractor booking.
Kandua has launched Jess, an AI-powered home companion for home repairs in South Africa. The tool helps homeowners describe issues, get guidance, and book vetted service providers.
Kandua, a Santam-owned home services marketplace, has launched Jess. Kandua is listed on Liners as Kandua. Jess is positioned as South Africa’s first AI home companion.
Jess uses a conversational interface, meaning users can chat with it like they would with a support agent. In the “Ask Jess” flow, a homeowner describes a problem such as a leaking tap or a tripping circuit, and Jess helps narrow down what the issue might be. If the user needs a professional, “Book a Job” connects them to service providers on Kandua.
Kandua says Jess also provides cost estimates and flags possible complications. This aims to reduce abandoned requests, which is when a customer starts a booking but does not finish it.
On the supply side, Kandua says it has tightened screening for contractors. The checks include identity verification, criminal background checks, certification validation, and business registration checks.
The company is also moving away from a pay-per-lead model, where contractors pay for each potential customer contact. Instead, it is using one-to-one job matching, so contractors are only connected to jobs they are qualified to complete.
Home services marketplaces often struggle with trust and quality control. For homeowners, the risk is poor workmanship, unsafe repairs, or unclear pricing. For contractors, the risk is paying for leads that do not convert into real jobs.
If Jess improves diagnosis, pricing clarity, and job matching, it could increase completed bookings and repeat usage. It also fits Santam’s push to use digital products to support skilled service providers and small businesses since acquiring Kandua in 2024.
Primary Source: ITnewsafrica
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