Thanksto the development of information and communication technologies, over recent years, Africa has seen the creation of severalapplications in various fields.

Among these is the emergence of applications dedicated; to transport, especially motorcycle taxis, including for example GOZEM or HEETCH developed by French start-ups and whose use has extended to the West Africa (Benin, Togo, Nigeria, etc.).

Even i this sector is not yet fully regulated, and there are some malfunctions in terms of pricing or ignorance of the code the road, we can only observe the extent that has taken this phenomenon through thousands of motorcycles carrying passengers daily thanks to thes new ICTs. In other words, since the beginning of 2019, the two French startups have set up operations in Africa, particularly in Abidjan, where passengers order a motorcycle taxi via the app, which automatically relays information to drivers so that they can recover their client at the starting point and drop it at his point of arrival.

The weak point is the afety of the traveler during the journey, Heetch has chosen to recruit these drivers through a rigorous process combining several conditions including: the possession of a driver’s license, an identity card as well as its own transport vehicle meeting the criteria of the start-up « 5% of candidates only are hired » (source http://www.afriquinfos.com).

In addition to bringing easier access to mobility, exchanges between the Heetch start-up and the Ivorian authorities suggest an expansion of the platform in Côte d’Ivoire, accompanied by the creation of at least 4,000 jobs by 2021. For ease of payment, these platforms such as GOZEM (already present in Togo and Benin) and HEETCH certify a price to users that can be paid in cash but also by credit card or Mobile Money. The goal is to facilitate, secure and reliable access to mobility, these start-ups have chosen a well-defined positioning to make this mode of transportation affordable and secure.

Written by Hugo Rodriguez