A bright red ‘Yango’ sticker on the side doors announces the new kid on the transportation block in Windhoek, whose aim is to deliver better service to the commuting public.
According to country manager Kumwe Dumeni, popularly also known as CJ, Yango is an intentional software company that started in Europe and has invested in Namibia to work with local transportation partners.
“Ours is a ride-hailing application that uses software to provide the safest and most affordable transport service to commuters,” he says, adding that this makes Namibia the 11th African country where Yango is available.
Dumeni says being a software company, Yango does not own the involved vehicles, nor does it have a board in Namibia, but the vehicles belong to partners who are sometimes also taxi operators.
This concept makes Yango rides easier, safer and more affordable for users as it puts the customer at the centre of all operations, he says.
“To order a car, users download the app, open it, and specify where they want to go. When geolocation is enabled, the service pinpoints where the user is and finds the nearby driver who will arrive the fastest,” says Dumeni, who adds they connect users and service providers.
Yango is currently a cash-only service, so when a user orders a car, they input their destination and the app algorithms automatically calculate the price of the trip ahead of time.
Dumeni says the company’s target market is people who care about their safety and want to control their commuting time by getting to their destination in the shortest possible time.
“With the conventional taxi the driver can take you from Pionierspark to Kleine Kuppe and Eros before dropping you 30 to 40 minutes later.
“With Yango, when you request a ride, the driver will take you with whoever you are (to a maximum of three people) to your destination for a single fare, because it’s a dedicated ride,” says Dumeni, adding that Yango charges taxi owners a commission for using their app.
He concedes that the taxi market is congested in certain areas of the city because drivers go to where most customers are, and most drivers ply the Katutura routes.
“The Yango system becomes a transportation leveller in the city as people do not spend more than 15 minutes waiting for a Yango driver – regardless of where they are in the city,” he says.
Dumeni says in situations where partners already provide a taxi service, when they have other clients they cannot pick a Yango fare, and when they have a Yango client they cannot pick up other passengers on the way before taking the Yango client to their destination.
“If the driver does something funny, the client can notify us, and we will take punitive action,” he says.
The client can add their next of kin or friend on the app, and their location can be traced during the ride.
This is good for people who do not know an area very well, like tourists.
According to Dumeni, Yango currently only operates in Windhoek and is still to launch at towns.
He says Yango has helped governments to rethink their transport policies in view of the tourism industry, as this enhances their safety.
Yango allows the operation of a gig economy in which one can have a full-time job and do a few Yango trips after work.
“This scheme has put money on the table for a lot of people, with the driver of the month for April making N$29 000 driving a Yango-registered vehicle,” Dumeni says.
He says the Yango app allows users to rate each ride, and drivers with low ratings may be denied access to service for a period of time.
Yango already operates in many countries across Europe, central Asia, the Middle East and Africa, including Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Zambia, Angola, Congo Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Algeria.
“We see great potential in the Namibian market as the country has a growing and diversified economy, and there is a high demand for a modern ride-hailing service.
“As comfort, safety and affordability are among our top priorities, Yango has developed its own security features and technologies that allow both users and drivers to feel safe and at ease during every trip.
“We are convinced people in Windhoek will appreciate the care and features we have added to our ride-hailing service,” says Adeniyi Adebayo, the general manager for Yango in Africa. – email: matthew@namibian.com.na
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