What Cheki Uganda does

Cheki Uganda is an online automotive marketplace operating in Uganda under the broader Autochek Africa network. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Kampala, it provides a digital platform connecting individual car buyers with sellers of used (predominantly imported) vehicles, with example listings in Kampala's Banda area spanning price points from roughly USh 37 million for a 2012 Toyota Fielder to USh 198 million for a 2021 Toyota Hilux. The platform allows users to browse inventory filtered by price range and brand, contact sellers directly, apply for car loans, assess trade-in options, and utilize a "Drive Now, Pay Later" product. It operates primarily through its website (autochek.africa/ug, to which cheki.co.ug redirects) and native iOS and Android mobile applications distributed via the Apple App Store and Google Play, with phone-based sales support available.

The platform integrates several product modules into a single workflow: the Autochek UG Marketplace for inventory discovery, Car Loans for financing with monthly payment calculations based on a 40% down-payment structure, Drive Now Pay Later as an alternative financing option, a Sell-a-Car service for listing vehicles, and a Direct Sales Agent (DSA) program that enables third-party individuals to facilitate transactions on behalf of the platform. The DSA program effectively creates a distributed sales layer without proportional internal headcount growth. The technology stack is a standard web-based marketplace with native mobile clients; there are no disclosed AI/ML, API, or SDK offerings.

Revenue is generated through two primary streams: transaction commissions or fees on completed used-car sales between buyers and sellers, and affiliate/referral fees from financial partners for loan prequalification and financing services. The go-to-market motion is self-serve product-led growth, with phone-based sales support and digital acquisition channels including organic search, mobile app stores, social media, and content marketing via the company blog. Customer segments are individual car buyers (primary) and vehicle sellers, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B customers. The business model is structurally that of a two-sided marketplace whose revenue scales with transaction volume and financing deal flow in the Ugandan used-car market.

Name

Cheki Uganda

Legal name

Autochek Africa

Website

https://cheki.co.ug

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cheki Uganda is an online automotive marketplace operating in Uganda under the Autochek Africa network, enabling individual car buyers and sellers to browse, finance, and transact used vehicles through a web platform and mobile applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Automotive Marketplace

NAICS

Other Motor Vehicle Dealers (4412), Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)

SIC

Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)

akta.pro primary industry

Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)

Keywords

• Used car marketplace
• Automotive financing
• Car loan services
• Vehicle trade-in
• Online car sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Sales Commission: Platform facilitates used car transactions between buyers and sellers, earning commission or fees on completed sales
2. Loan Facilitation: Car loan prequalification and financing services, likely generating referral or processing fees from financial partners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cheki Uganda operates an online automotive marketplace enabling Ugandan consumers to browse, search, and purchase used vehicles from dealers and private sellers. The platform integrates car loan prequalification, a Drive Now Pay Later financing option, and trade-in services within the same digital experience, accessible via website and mobile applications.

Product overview

Autochek UG is an online automotive marketplace operating in Uganda under the Autochek Africa platform. The platform provides a unified marketplace where users can buy and finance used cars, access car loan products with monthly payment calculations, utilize a Drive Now Pay Later option, and list vehicles for sale. The ecosystem includes a Direct Sales Agent (DSA) program for third-party sales facilitation and native mobile applications for iOS and Android.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Autochek UG Marketplace Online automotive marketplace enabling users in Uganda to browse, search, and purchase used cars from dealers and private sellers, with filtering by price range and vehicle brand such as Toyota, BMW, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz.
• Car Loans Financing service allowing users to apply for and obtain car loans to purchase vehicles, with monthly payment calculations displayed based on a 40% down payment and loan terms.
• Drive Now, Pay Later Buy-now-pay-later financing option enabling customers to purchase vehicles with a deferred payment structure rather than full upfront cash payment.
• Sell-a-Car Service Platform service enabling users to list and sell their vehicles through the Autochek Uganda marketplace, including trade-in assessment functionality.
• Autochek Mobile App Native mobile application for iOS and Android enabling users to browse, buy, and finance vehicles on the Autochek Uganda marketplace on mobile devices.
• DSA (Direct Sales Agent) Sales agent program allowing individuals to register as direct sales agents to facilitate vehicle transactions on the Autochek Uganda platform.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Autochek AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCheki Uganda operates as part of the Autochek Africa automotive marketplace network, providing the technology platform, brand, and operational infrastructure for the Ugandan market. The platform redirects from cheki.co.ug to autocheck.africa/ug, indicating a unified platform approach.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BeForward: Large Japanese used-vehicle exporter with significant demand from East African buyers. Competes indirectly for the same imported Japanese stock that dominates Cheki Uganda listings and runs adjacent financing partnerships.
• SBT Japan: Japanese used-car export platform with strong presence in African destination markets. Comparable in that it serves the same end-buyer use case (sourcing imported Japanese used cars) and overlaps on logistics and financing.
• Autochek Africa: The parent pan-African automotive marketplace network under which Cheki Uganda operates. Directly comparable in product (used-car marketplace + financing) and broader in geographic scope, making it the closest strategic counterpart.
• CarDekho: India's largest auto platform spanning new, used, and financing. Comparable in providing a full-stack digital auto experience with embedded loans, though at significantly larger scale and different geography.
• CarMax: US largest used-car retailer with a strong online marketplace and integrated financing. Comparable in marrying used-vehicle inventory, online discovery, and embedded finance, though at vastly greater scale and with physical retail.

Direct peers

• Cheki (by Carmudi Africa): The 'Cheki' brand historically operated across multiple African markets by various owners; in some geographies Carmudi now runs a 'Cheki'-style marketplace. Competes in the same online auto classifieds space with similar product shape.
• Droom: India-based online used-vehicle marketplace with integrated financing, inspection, and trade-in. Comparable in end-to-end marketplace-plus-fintech product model, though serving a very different geography.
• Jiji Uganda: Leading Ugandan generalist classifieds marketplace with a large vehicles category. Competes directly with Cheki Uganda for used-car listings and buyer attention, though Jiji does not natively offer integrated loan origination.
• Cars45 (now part of Jiji): Pan-African used-car inspection, listing, and financing platform; merged with Jiji. Closely comparable in the marketplace-plus-financing model, with a much larger scale and pan-regional footprint.

Regional players

• Cars.co.za: South Africa's leading online automotive marketplace with new/used listings and finance integrations. Comparable in marketplace + finance model, but serves a different (much larger) African market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chekiuganda
• Facebookfacebook.com/chekiug
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheki-uganda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cheki Uganda