SpaceYaMagari: Driving Online Car Conversations In Kenya
They say some of the world’s most successful initiatives today were borne out of garages and basements. Microsoft, Google, Facebook, motorcycle manufacturer Harley Davidson, Apple, Walt Disney, Under Armour, name them. Each of them started from humble beginnings, took a life of their own beyond their inventor’s wildest imagination, and became market leaders in their respective niches.
Similarly, SpaceYaMagari is an idea that started small, is growing to chart its own course, and is on the way to becoming the ultimate platform for having car conversations in Kenya. Peach Cars sat down with the core SpaceYaMagari team to talk about its beginnings, the journey so far, and what the future looks like for the platform.
How Did SpaceYaMagari Come About?
Bob: SpaceYaMagari started in October 2021 in a funny way. I was jobless at the time and to keep myself occupied, I started looking for something to do in the automotive industry because I have always been passionate about cars. I had done a few car review projects in the past but I now wanted to do something different, something more impactful and fulfilling. But I had no resources to do the more that I wanted.
Then came Twitter Spaces. It was a savior because it meant I could create content without stretching myself thin. At first, I was shy about getting on the platform because I was afraid of how ruthless Kenyans On Twitter (KOT) can be when pushing an agenda against you. But when I saw what other people were using Twitter Spaces for, I asked myself, “Is this the best we can do with such an amazing platform?” It gave me the courage to get started.
The first SpaceYaMagari Twitter Space was hosted on my personal Twitter page. I co-hosted the Space with Kelvin Ng’eno (another member of the SpaceYaMagari core team). That episode was basically interacting with other Twitter users who have an interest in cars and getting to know each other. I can say it was a success because it got a good reception and we had over one hundred tweeps listening in to it.
To me, it was to be a one-off experiment but Kelvin called me the next week and told me we needed to do another episode. From the second Space came Alex Mwanzo and Esna Moraa and the team was ready to conquer the world.
From there, the idea took a life of its own and we needed to start dedicated social media pages separate from our personal accounts. More people were showing an interest in the conversations and it proved to us that there was an information gap in the automotive spaces in Kenya. We even had people volunteering to help SpaceYaMagari set up its own website and branding too. We met friends such as Trendyseta who has been doing our graphic designs ensuring the brand’s life is maintained.
The Journey So Far…
Bob: The biggest misconception about SpaceYaMagari is that we are moneyed people who drive around in big cars and looking to use our financial muscle to gatekeep car conversations in Kenya. The truth is that we are everyday folks who are only brought together by our love for cars.
On our journey, the idea has grown beyond being just a Twitter Space. 106+ Twitter Spaces later, we now have a functional website, a YouTube channel, a Telegram channel, and we also do periodic podcasts. Besides the core team, we now have an active team with over 10 members consisting of web developers, freelance content creators, and content editors.
I’d say one of the biggest wins for SpaceYaMagari is the symbiotic relationships we’ve built with different players in the automotive industry. We’ve engaged with Peach Cars, MPG Garage, She Can Drive Kenya, Njuguna wa Spare Parts, and Mara Nomads among others. Honestly, these relationships are more important to us than paid partnerships. We are focused on building an all-inclusive space at the moment rather than monetizing the idea which is a long-term plan.
Striking the Perfect Balance between SpaceYaMagari and Day Jobs…
Esnah: One thing we all agree on is that this is still a baby we are nurturing and everyone’s committed to growing it. We can’t say it’s been easy getting a balance between jobs that pay our bills and growing the platform we’re creating, but the passion and determination to see SpaceYaMagari grow enable us to deliberately set aside time for it. For example, Monday evenings are very busy for me as a medical practitioner so I usually listen to recordings on Tuesday mornings as I drive to work.
We usually coordinate our activities virtually and meet on weekends or when planning an event. It took about four weeks for the core team to meet in person. We also have a good content team that’s willing to give their all even when the undertaking isn’t financially rewarding at the moment.
Another challenge we have to deal with is separating who we are as individuals and SpaceYaMagari. As a digital product, it’s difficult to create an intimate connection with our followers without letting them deep into our personal lives. Social media, especially Twitter, can be a monster if you let people into your personal space. So far, we have all been able to allow controlled intrusion into our lives beyond SpaceYaMagari.
What Does the Future Hold for SpaceYaMagari?
Kelvin: It took us a couple of months to gel as a team and work to each other’s strengths. Bob was handling most of the tasks and easily got overwhelmed. But we now have teamwork and synergy. The future looks promising and we’re excited to explore endless possibilities with SpaceYaMagari.
Bob: The automotive space is an infinite world. It’s a very diverse industry that has a lot to offer for everyone. There’s a lot more we’re working on and now we have a clearer vision than when we started. The goal for SpaceYaMagari is to bring everyone in this space together so we can have an all-inclusive platform for car conversations in Kenya. We are not looking to be gatekeepers for car convos, but rather be an enabler for such conversations to take place.
SpaceYaMagari hosts Twitter Spaces every Monday from 7.30 pm. You can follow them on Twitter- @SpaceYaMagari– and other social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram.
