api, mobility_data, africa

The data infrastructure
Africa's cities have been waiting for.

Dira is a developer-first mobility API that exposes how Africa's cities actually move. Across the continent, informal transit systems power daily transportation, yet they operate outside the bounds of conventional data systems: dynamic, unstructured, and constantly evolving. Although partial maps and isolated datasets exist, there is no consistent, reliable interface that developers can use to build products aligned with real-world urban movement.

Dira bridges this gap by providing a clean, structured, and continuously updated mobility layer through API endpoints. It aggregates fragmented transit data into standardised formats, routes, stops, and movement patterns, enabling logistics platforms, ride-hailing services, and mobility applications to integrate directly with the underlying flow of cities. Instead of building on assumptions, Dira allows systems to build on reality.

The Problem We Solve

Across Africa's fastest-growing cities, informal transit networks carry the majority of all urban trips. In Dar es Salaam alone, daladalas, privately operated minibuses, account for over 80% of all motorised journeys. Yet not a single route, boarding point, or frequency pattern from these networks exists on any digital platform anywhere in the world.

City planners cannot model demand. Logistics companies cannot optimise last-mile delivery. Development banks cannot evaluate transport infrastructure investments. Insurers cannot price transit risk. Retailers cannot assess footfall potential. Every organisation that depends on understanding urban movement in African cities is operating blind.

Dira closes that gap. We collect, structure, and continuously update ground-truth mobility data from the streets, making the invisible network visible for the first time.

80%

Of Dar es Salaam trips made on unmapped informal transit

Informal routes on any digital platform, anywhere in the world

$5B+

Lost annually across African cities in traffic & productivity

3h+

Average daily commute in Dar es Salaam with no digital navigation

Conventional mapping systems capture less than 10% of Dar es Salaam's transit reality. The remaining 95%, where most people actually move, remains structurally invisible — not because it cannot be mapped, but because no one has built the infrastructure to capture it. That is what Dira is.

Development banks and DFIs allocate billions in urban transport investment across Sub-Saharan Africa each year, often without any structured data on how people actually move. Dira provides the evidence layer those decisions require.

Last-mile logistics in African cities is expensive precisely because the transit network is unknown. Dira gives logistics operators the network visibility needed to optimise routing, reduce fuel costs, and serve underserved urban corridors.

Who We Serve

Dira is built for organisations that need to understand urban movement in African cities to make better decisions. Our clients are not navigating, they are planning, investing, operating, and building at city scale.

01: urban_planners

City Governments & Urban Planners

Municipal authorities and planning agencies need accurate transit network data to design infrastructure, plan BRT corridors, and allocate public resources efficiently.

→ Route gap analysis, stop density mapping, commuter flow modelling

02: development_finance

Development Banks & DFIs

The World Bank, AfDB, GIZ, and bilateral development institutions require structured mobility data to evaluate transport project viability, economic impact, and equity access.

→ Investment feasibility, access-to-opportunity analysis, project monitoring

03: logistics

Logistics & Supply Chain Operators

Last-mile delivery companies, freight forwarders, and e-commerce platforms operating in African cities need corridor intelligence to reduce cost and improve coverage.

→ Route optimisation, depot placement, demand corridor analysis

04: insurtech

Insurers & InsurTech Platforms

Transit insurance, ride-hailing risk models, and fleet underwriters require empirical route and frequency data to price risk and assess exposure accurately.

→ Route risk scoring, exposure mapping, claims validation

05: retail_property

Retail & Real Estate

Retailers, mall developers, and commercial property investors need transit accessibility data to evaluate site selection, footfall potential, and catchment area analysis.

→ Footfall modelling, site accessibility scoring, market entry analysis

06: research

Academic & Policy Research

Universities, think tanks, and policy institutions researching urban mobility, equity, and economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa require structured transit datasets.

→ Longitudinal datasets, equity access studies, transport modelling

What the API Delivers

Dira delivers structured, queryable mobility data built entirely from ground-level collection in African cities. This is not aggregated satellite data, not inferred from traffic sensors, and not scraped from existing maps. It is data that did not exist in structured form, anywhere, before Mkato collected it.

01: route_network

Informal Route Geometry

Full route geometries, terminal points, and service corridors for every informal transit line in the covered city. GeoJSON-compatible, queryable by zone or corridor.

02: stop_locations

Verified Boarding & Alighting Points

Ground-verified stop locations with GPS coordinates, route associations, stop type classification, and connection point data. Not estimated, documented from actual movement.

03: flow_patterns

Corridor Flow & Frequency Intelligence

Peak period analysis, passenger density by corridor, transit frequency, and directional flow volumes. Updated continuously from live Mkato App usage data.

04: coverage_layers

Transit Accessibility & Coverage Maps

Aggregate coverage layers showing transit accessibility zones, underserved areas, network density, and walking-distance catchment polygons across the city grid.

05: historical_data

Historical & Longitudinal Datasets

Time-series mobility data enabling trend analysis, network evolution tracking, demand growth modelling, and pre/post intervention assessment for infrastructure projects.

06: custom_exports

Custom Data Delivery & Formats

GeoJSON, Shapefile, CSV, and GTFS-compatible exports available for enterprise clients. Bulk delivery and scheduled data refreshes available under enterprise agreements.

Why Dira

◈

Ground-Truth, Not Estimated

Every route, stop, and flow pattern is collected from the street level by the Mkato App, not inferred, not modelled. When we say a route exists, it exists.

⟳

Continuously Updated

Informal networks shift. Routes change, stops move, new services launch. Dira data updates continuously from live usage, not a static snapshot.

◎

Africa-Native by Design

Built specifically for informal urban transit in African cities, not adapted from European or North American transit standards. Designed for the data conditions that actually exist.

⊞

Structured & Queryable

RESTful JSON API with city-scoped endpoints, geographic filtering, and developer-friendly documentation. Integrates directly into existing GIS, analytics, and logistics platforms.

◫

Replicable Across Cities

The Mkato methodology is designed to replicate. Starting in Dar es Salaam, every city we enter adds to the dataset, building toward continental coverage.

⬡

Procurement-Friendly

Available under annual enterprise agreements, project-based licences, and development institution procurement frameworks. Structured for institutional buyers.

How It Works

Dira sits at Layer 3 of the Mkato Technologies stack. The Mkato consumer navigation app generates the data. Dira structures it, validates it, and exposes it to enterprise clients through a clean API.

Ground-Level Data Collection, Mkato App

The Mkato navigation app is used daily by commuters navigating informal transit routes across Dar es Salaam. Every journey generates verified route, stop, and flow data, passively, at scale, continuously.

Data Processing & Validation

Raw mobility signals are processed, validated, and structured into standardised datasets. Routes are verified against ground conditions. Anomalies are flagged and resolved. The dataset is continuously refined as more usage data flows in.

API Access & Data Delivery

Enterprise clients access structured mobility data through authenticated REST API endpoints or scheduled bulk exports. Documentation, onboarding support, and SLA agreements are provided under all enterprise tiers.

Integration Into Your Platform

Dira data integrates directly into GIS platforms (ArcGIS, QGIS), logistics management systems, urban planning tools, and custom analytics environments. Full technical support available during onboarding.

API Reference

RESTful JSON API. City and version scoped. Authenticated via API key. Full documentation provided on early access approval.

GET

/v1/{city}/routes

All informal transit routes with geometry, terminals, and metadata

GET

/v1/{city}/stops

All verified stop locations with coordinates and route associations

GET

/v1/{city}/routes/{id}

Single route detail including stop sequence and frequency data

GET

/v1/{city}/flow

Corridor density and peak period flow patterns across the network

GET

/v1/{city}/coverage

Transit accessibility layers and network coverage polygon data

GET

/v1/{city}/historical

Time-series mobility data for longitudinal analysis and trend modelling

GET

/v1/cities

Available cities, data freshness timestamps, and coverage status

Code Examples

Three lines to your first mobility data response. Dira integrates into any stack: Python, JavaScript, or direct HTTP. Below are live examples from the Dar es Salaam dataset.

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

get_routes.py

# Fetch all DSM routes
import requests

API_KEY="dk_live_xxxx"
BASE="https://api
.mkato.io/v1"

r=requests.get(
  f"{BASE}/dsm
/routes",
  headers={{
    "Authorization":
    f"Bearer {API_KEY}"
  }}
)
data=r.json()
# total: 147 routes

GET/dsm/routes · 200 OK

Fetch All Routes

Python · Returns full route list with metadata for the selected city

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

flow.js

// Peak-hour flow
const KEY=
  "dk_live_xxxx";
const BASE=
 "https://api
.mkato.io/v1";

const r=await fetch(
 `${BASE}/dsm/flow`,
 {{headers:{{
   "Authorization":
   `Bearer ${KEY}`
 }}}}
);
const flow=
  await r.json();
// ranked corridors

GET/dsm/flow · 200 OK

Corridor Flow Analysis

JavaScript · Returns peak period density data ranked by corridor

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

stop.json

// GET /dsm/stops/S-042
{{
 "id":   "S-042",
 "name":"Ubungo Mwisho",
 "type":"transfer_hub",
 "coords":{{
   "lat":-6.7924,
   "lng":39.2083
 }},
 "routes":[
   "D-13","D-22"
 ],
 "daily_avg":4200,
 "verified":true
}}

GET/dsm/stops/S-042 · 200 OK

Stop Detail Response

JSON · Verified stop with coordinates, routes and daily averages

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

coverage.sh

# cURL coverage zones
curl -X GET "https://api.mkato
.io/v1/dsm/coverage"-H "Authorization:
 Bearer dk_live_xxxx"-H "Accept:
 application/json"

# Returns GeoJSON
# polygon coverage
# for full city grid

GET/dsm/coverage · GeoJSON

Coverage Zones

cURL · Returns GeoJSON transit accessibility polygons for the city

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

route_stops.py

# Get stop sequence
import requests

r=requests.get(
 "https://api.mkato"
 ".io/v1/dsm"
 "/routes/D-13",
 headers={{
  "Authorization":
  "Bearer dk_live"
 }}
).json()

for s in r["stops"]:
  print(s["name"])
# 14 stops returned

GET/dsm/routes/D-13 · 200 OK

Route Stop Sequence

Python · Returns ordered stop list for a specific route

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

historical.json

// GET /dsm/historical
{{
 "city":"dsm",
 "period":{{
  "from":"2026-01-01",
  "to":"2026-05-01"
 }},
 "records":14520,
 "corridors":[{{
   "id":"C-001",
   "growth":"+12%",
   "peak":"07:30"
 }}]
}}

GET/dsm/historical · 200 OK

Historical Dataset

JSON · Time-series corridor data for longitudinal analysis

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

cities.js

// List available cities
const getCities=
async()=>{{
 const r=await fetch(
  "https://api"
  ".mkato.io"
  "/v1/cities",
  {{headers:{{
   "Authorization":
   "Bearer dk_live"
  }}}}
 );
 return await
   r.json();
}}

GET/cities · 200 OK

Available Cities

JavaScript · Returns all cities with coverage status and data freshness

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

export.py

# Bulk GeoJSON export
import requests, json

r=requests.get(
 "https://api.mkato"
 ".io/v1/dsm/routes",
 params={{
  "format":"geojson",
  "include":"stops"
 }},
 headers={{
  "Authorization":
  "Bearer dk_live"
 }}
)
with open("dsm.geojson","w")
 as f: json.dump(
   r.json(),f)

GET/dsm/routes?format=geojson

GeoJSON Bulk Export

Python · Downloads full route and stop dataset as GeoJSON file

9:41▲▲ ▓▓

route.json

// GET /dsm/routes/D-13
{{
 "id":    "D-13",
 "name": "Kariakoo-Mwenge",
 "stops":     14,
 "length_km": 18.4,
 "freq_min":  8,
 "peak":"07:00-09:00",
 "geometry":{{
  "type":
    "LineString",
  "coords":[...]
 }},
 "verified":true
}}

GET/dsm/routes/D-13 · 200 OK

Route Detail Response

JSON · Full route record with geometry, stop count and frequency data

Access Tiers

Early access pricing. Custom enterprise agreements available for institutional buyers. All tiers include JSON delivery, versioned endpoints, and dedicated onboarding support.

// researcher

Free / limited

For academics, NGOs, and urban researchers. Non-commercial use, limited call volume.

1 city dataset

500 API calls / month

Static snapshots only

Non-commercial licence

Request Access

Most Requested

// enterprise

Custom / annual

For logistics operators, city agencies, and enterprise platforms requiring live data at scale.

Multi-city access

Unlimited API calls

Live + historical data

SLA + dedicated support

Custom data exports

Talk to Us

// development

Custom / project

For DFIs, development banks, and urban planning agencies procuring data for infrastructure projects.

Full city datasets

Bulk data delivery

GTFS-compatible formats

Procurement-friendly terms

Get in Touch

Early Access

// register_interest

Data access opens with the Dar es Salaam pilot.

Dira is in active development alongside the Mkato pilot in Dar es Salaam. Register your organisation's interest and we will reach out directly when early access is available, or to discuss a custom data agreement now.

No spam. We will only contact you about Dira access and data availability. Or reach us directly at info@mkato.io

Dira is a product of Mkato Technologies Limited — building the ground-truth mobility data infrastructure for Africa's informal cities. Learn more at mkato.io →

// contact

For data access, partnerships, enterprise agreements, or press, reach out directly.

info@mkato.io

Tel

+255 670 008 899

Location

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

linkedin.com/company/mkato

Web

mkato.io

The data infrastructure Africa's cities have been waiting for.​

The Problem We Solve

Who We Serve

What the API Delivers

Why Dira

How It Works

API Reference

Code Examples

Access Tiers

Early Access

The data infrastructure
Africa's cities have been waiting for.