The Matatu Tout: A Career Despised By Many?

When you hear ‘konda’ (tout) what comes to your mind? Do you see chaos, opportunity or both? Well, irrespective of your perception of the matatu industry, the fact of the matter is that this is not a business for the faint-hearted.

 

Image source: Matatu Media

It’s a bumpy ride but if you are ready to learn the ropes; then there’s nothing that can stop you from conquering it (business-wise). In other words, you have to roll up your sleeves and get ready for the ride of a lifetime. A ride that can take you places if you play by the rules.

Being a matatu tout is a career despised by many, owing to the fact that it is seen as a preserve for the academically weak and unintelligent people.

You only need basic cash-handling skills to venture into this career which means one can get started immediately they finish form four. On a good day, a tout in a Nairobi matatu takes home about Ksh 3,000 and on a bad day, he takes home around Ksh 1,500. At the end of the month the konda will have pocketed an average of Ksh 45,000 – Ksh 90,000.

Five years down the line, the matatu tout has already become a PSV matatu driver which means his daily take-home has risen from Ksh 3,000 to Ksh 5,000. He now takes home roughly Ksh 100,000 basic salary per month which is more than what some of the white collar jobs pay. He only needs to wait for a few more months and he will be having his own matatu on the road.

Contrary to the popular belief, some touts are university graduates with degrees and even masters, but they have mastered the matatu business such that they would opt for a matatu job over a white collar one any day!

As a youth, what is your hustle?