Vaya Africa, an African mobility startup, has launched its on-demand/ ride-hailing electric car services as well as charging points in Zimbabwe.
To kick off the electric car ride-hailing service which is expected to start operation this week in the Southern African nation, Vaya Africa purchased several Electric vehicles from Nissan.
The Steve Masiyiwa-owned company already has expansion plans in motion. It is finalising partnerships to commence delivery and electric car ride-hailing services in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia.
“We are excited to launch the ‘VAYA Electric’ vehicle today as we start our journey of deploying innovative ways of harnessing clean, renewable energy to provide safe and convenient transportation services to the public on the African continent,” said Mrs Dorothy Zimuto, the CEO of Vaya Mobilty said
Mrs Zimuto said e-vehicles would be charged on solar or on grid-tied electric charging stations across the country.
“Our electric vehicles will be charged on charging stations deployed across the country, built by Ugesi Energy, a subsidiary of Econet Global, to offer e-vehicle owners charging options just about anywhere around the country,” Mrs Zimuto said.
She added that VAYA Africa had provided for financing for the purchase of the VAYA Electric.
“VAYA Africa has positioned itself as an enabler in the hail riding value chain. So we will import the electric vehicles of various brands and at the same time facilitate loans to qualifying clients and VAYA partners through Steward Bank specifically for the purchase of the e-vehicles,” Mrs Zimuto said.
Describing the customer fulfilment process, Mrs Zimuto said to enjoy a ride, one simply downloads the VAYA Africa App and looks for the Mobility Option.
“They select the Electric Vehicle and this prompts them to choose the pickup and destination addresses, before requesting a ride,” she said.
She added that the App provided for convenient payment options, including mobile money payment, payment by VISA, MasterCard or any other international debit or credit cards options.
Vaya Africa is a Mauritius registered subsidiary of the Econet Group Limited with a mandate to move people and goods from one point to another.
The mobility company aims to provide a transportation solution tailor made for Africans but encompassing the latest technologies through a mobile application.
