Behind the Scenes: Building INZU YANJE — My House Rental Platform

A few weeks ago, I shared that I'm building a house rental platform for Burundi. Today, I want to give you a real update on where things stand including the hard parts.

First, let me give it a proper introduction. The platform is called INZU YANJE which means "My House" in Kirundi. I chose this name because it's simple, local, and speaks directly to what the platform is about: helping people find their home.

What INZU YANJE Does (The Simple Version)

The idea is straightforward:

• Property owners can create accounts and publish their available houses with photos, descriptions, and prices.
• People looking to rent can browse listings, search by location or price, and contact owners directly through the platform.
• Everything is designed for the Burundian market; simple, fast, and built with local users in mind.

Think of it as a marketplace, but for rental homes instead of products.

Where Things Stand Right Now

I've been working on this mostly at night, after the market closes. Here's what's done:

✅ The core system is built ; user accounts, property listings, photo uploads, search and filtering.

✅ The design is mobile-first ; most people in Burundi access the internet through their phones, so the platform works on any device.

✅ House detail pages with photo galleries, descriptions, and owner contact information.

✅ A messaging system so renters and owners can communicate directly on the platform.

✅ An admin dashboard for managing listings, approvals, and site settings.

✅ The platform is installable as a Progressive Web App, meaning users can add it to their phone's home screen like a regular app, no app store needed.

Here's a peek at how the homepage is coming together:

INZU YANJE SCREENSHOT

It's not perfect yet. But it works. And that's what matters at this stage.

The Hard Part: Local Payment Integration

This is where things get real.

I want renters to be able to pay directly through the platform. No cash. No running around. Just click, pay, done.

The obvious choices for Burundi are mobile money services and digital banking solutions that people already use here.

But here's the challenge: getting access to these payment systems as an independent developer is incredibly difficult.

The documentation is limited. The approval process is unclear.

The APIs aren't publicly available the way they are for platforms like Stripe or PayPal in other countries.

For someone like me not a big company, not a registered fintech startup the doors don't open easily.

I understand the need for security. Payment systems handle real money, and they need to trust who they're working with. But it raises a bigger question I keep asking myself:

How do local developers build solutions for local needs when the tools aren't accessible to us?

I'm not giving up. I'm exploring every avenue reaching out, following up, looking for workarounds. But I want to be honest with you about the process. Building a real platform isn't just about writing code. It's about navigating systems that weren't designed for independent builders like me.

If anyone reading this has experience with mobile money or banking APIs in Burundi or knows someone who does I'd genuinely love to connect. Drop a comment or reach out through the contact page.

What I've Learned So Far

Building INZU YANJE has taught me more than any tutorial ever could:

• Building the features is the easy part. Getting access to the infrastructure you need? That's the real challenge.
• Design for mobile first. Most of your users won't be on laptops.
• Localization matters. Using Kirundi in the name, designing for local payment habits, understanding how people actually search for houses here — these details make the difference.
• Progress is slow when you work alone. But every small win keeps you going.

A Question for You

As I keep building, I'd love to hear from you:

If you were looking for a house to rent, what feature would matter most to you?

• Clear photos of the property?
• Direct messaging with the owner?
• The ability to pay securely online?
• Price comparison between different houses?
• Something else?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I'm building this for real people, and your input genuinely helps shape the platform.

What's Next

I don't have a launch date yet. I believe in releasing something when it's truly ready, not when a calendar says so.

But here's what I can promise:

• I'll keep pushing for those payment integrations.
• I'll keep writing code at midnight.
• I'll keep selling kitchenware at Siyoni Market during the day.
• And I'll keep sharing the journey with you ; the wins, the struggles, and everything in between.
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INZU YANJE is coming. Slowly but surely.

— Dona

Building in public. One line of code at a time. Fighting for local solutions in a global tech world.