How Muwa Works
Published by Ukpaa Chigozie
Muwa is a WhatsApp-based marketplace that lets you shop for groceries and everyday items through simple conversation — text, voice notes, photos, or even recipe requests — and have them delivered to your door by verified runners.
No app to download. Just WhatsApp.
See Muwa in action:
How it works:
- 1.Tell us what you need (text, voice, photo, or recipe)
- 2.Review your itemized cart and pay securely
- 3.Track your runner and receive your order with a confirmation code
Shoppers
Placing an Order
Shoppers interact entirely through WhatsApp. They can:
- ●Type a list: "2kg rice, 1 dozen eggs, 1 liter groundnut oil"
- ●Send a voice note: We understand your voice and add your items to cart
- ●Send a photo: Of a handwritten list, a recipe, or items you want
- ●Request a recipe: "I want to cook egusi soup for 5 people" — Muwa gives you the recipe and builds your cart with the ingredients at current market prices
Muwa understands Nigerian English, Igbo, Pidgin, and Yoruba — just talk naturally ("I wan make egusi", "Mo fẹ́ cook jollof for 5", "Nyem 2 cups of rice").
Cart & Checkout
After items are identified:
- ●Shopper reviews an itemized price breakdown
- ●Can adjust quantities, swap brands (premium/mid-range/budget), or add/remove items
- ●Sees a full cost breakdown: items + service fee + runner fee
- ●Chooses payment method: wallet balance or bank transfer
Payment
- ●Your payment is held securely until you confirm delivery — the runner is only paid after you receive your items
- ●If items cost less than estimated, the savings are automatically refunded to your wallet
- ●If an order is cancelled before a runner starts shopping, the full amount is refunded
Delivery
- ●Your runner shops at the nearest market and heads to your location
- ●Track progress in real-time
- ●At delivery, provide your 4-digit confirmation code to the runner to complete the order
After Delivery
- ●Rate your experience (good/bad + optional feedback)
- ●Feedback categories: delivery speed, communication, item variety, fees, location sharing
Runners
Becoming a Runner
- 1.Sign up with phone number and location on WhatsApp
- 2.Submit verification documents: selfie + government ID (NIN)
- 3.ID verified against government databases (NIMC) — instant to between 24–48 hours
- 4.Accept terms and set a shopping budget (₦1,000–₦100,000)
- 5.Receive a personal virtual bank account for payouts
Getting Orders
Orders are matched to runners based on:
- ●Budget: Your available budget must cover the order's item estimate
- ●Proximity: Must be within 20km of the target market
- ●Availability: Must not have an active order
Each order notification includes: commission breakdown, item list, distance, and customer rating.
You have 10 minutes to accept before the order moves to the next runner.
Shopping & Delivering
- 1.Accept the order and head to the market
- 2.Shop using your own capital (reimbursed on completion)
- 3.Upload receipt photos
- 4.Deliver to the customer's location
- 5.Collect the 4-digit confirmation code
- 6.Payment is released to your wallet
Order completion window: 90 minutes from acceptance.
Getting Paid
On every completed order, you receive:
- ●Full reimbursement for items purchased
- ●Service commission (see fee structure below)
Funds go to your wallet instantly. Withdraw to your bank account anytime.
Withdrawal fees:
| Amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to ₦5,000 | ₦10 |
| ₦5,001 – ₦50,000 | ₦25 |
| Over ₦50,000 | ₦50 |
Runner Fee Structure
Runner commission is calculated per order based on three components:
1. Base Fee
₦1,000 per order.
2. Shopping Effort
Compensates for the physical work of shopping, calculated per item:
Per-quantity units (multiplied by quantity ordered):
| Unit | Rate per unit |
|---|---|
| Bag, Basket, Carton | ₦250 |
| Kilogram, Liter, Paint Rubber, Mudu, Kongo | ₦150 |
Flat-rate units (fixed fee per item line):
| Unit | Rate |
|---|---|
| Piece, Pack, Cup, Derica, Bowl, Bottle, Sachet, Loaf, Bunch, Heap, Tie, Cube, Clove, and others | ₦100 |
3. Distance Fee
Applies only for deliveries beyond 5km from the market:
(distance in km - 5) × ₦300
Deliveries under 5km have no distance fee.
Example
Order: 10kg rice, 4 pieces of tomato, 2 bags of pepper — 8km delivery
| Component | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base fee | Flat | ₦1,000 |
| Rice (10kg) | 10 × ₦150 | ₦1,500 |
| Tomato (4 pieces) | Flat ₦100 | ₦100 |
| Pepper (2 bags) | 2 × ₦250 | ₦500 |
| Distance | (8km - 5km) × ₦300 | ₦900 |
| Total commission | ₦4,000 |
This is on top of full reimbursement for items purchased.
Service Fees
A service fee is added to each order:
Service Fee = ₦200 + 1.5% of items subtotal
| Order Items | Service Fee |
|---|---|
| ₦3,000 | ₦245 |
| ₦5,000 | ₦275 |
| ₦10,000 | ₦350 |
| ₦20,000 | ₦500 |
A small payment processing fee applies only when you fund your wallet or pay for orders through Paystack's web checkout.
Minimum order: ~₦2,600 Maximum order: ₦50,000
Ambassador Program
TBA
Safety & Trust
- ●All runners are verified with government-issued ID before they can accept orders
- ●Payments are held securely — runners are only paid after you confirm delivery
- ●Every delivery requires a unique confirmation code
- ●Rate your experience after every order to help maintain quality
Last updated 3 April 2026