Tech in Africa
Sokowatch an e-commerce platform has launched a new fleet of electric tuk-tuks for their delivery fleets throughout Uganda. This is the first of the commercial electric vehicles in East Africa. This is part of Sokowatch’s strategy to build cleaner and more sustainable in their areas of operation.
The electric tuktuks were built by Indian EV manufacturer Gayam Motor Works, which has clients such as IKEA, Amazon, and Flipkart. The new fleet took three hours to fully charge overnight, lasting 2 to 3 days. The electric tuktuks make deliveries to 35 shops within 2 hours of orders being placed and carry half a ton in goods for different retailers.
The adoption of electric commercial transportation is a positive step in checking air quality conditions over Kampala. According to the World Health Organization, Uganda’s air quality is considered poor. Among the contributors to poor air quality are vehicle emissions, waste burning, and manufacturing. Adoption of cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels in the transportation sector will improve the air quality and standard of health for citizens.
Sokowatch deploys a tech-enabled platform to improve supply chain inefficiencies for informal retailers. Africa boasts over 10 million informal shops retailing over $180 billion worth of goods. Despite their significance to the local economy, the shops hardly ever stock out of goods. In 2018, Sokowatch raised a $2 million seed round led by 4DX Ventures, and an additional $14 million Series A this year.
Earlier on we covered how the e-commerce platform has played a major role in helping business transition during the pandemic, earning the Visa Everywhere Initiative – Pandemic Challenge title.
