Denis Opudo
SafeMotors was launched in Rwanda in 2015 to make motorcycle industry more efficient. It has an Uber-style application which uses smart-phones to connect customers and SafeMotor operators. The startup helps in tracking, registering data, and eliminating unprofessional operators. The startup also added female drivers to its platform in March 2018. It is also negotiating for more fundraising and development of women-based products.
According to Barrett Nash, the Co-founder and (CEO), the Rwanda market was a “test kitchen”. The startup plans to launch the DRC operations in Kinshasa before the end of this year. So far, SafeMotors trips sums up to 300,000 and has raised significant amount during funding rounds. Moreover, the startup partners with an investor experienced in Kinshasa’s market. The startup will offer USSD-based, demand-driven services, taxi motors, and taxi cabs. He added that the company doubled segments and realized 6% weekly growth in the course of last year. The new market in DRC has a large population of over 10 million and traffic chaos.
Poor infrastructure accelerates the demand for SafeMotors products in the city. He further noted that new market in Kinshasa will aid the development of the startup. The move will result in a strategic shift from Smart-phones to feature phones in the future.
