Econet Wireless’ logistics services business, Yaya has to date choked up 10 000 partner drivers that service an estimated 100 000 urban customers per week.
Vaya was launched last October, under Econet’s listed technology subsidiary Cassava Smartech,.
Cassava Smartech CEO Eddie Chibi says the market uptake of Vaya has been “remarkable.”
“Its take-off has been nothing short of remarkable, if you consider that Vaya has not even been on the market for a year; it has been around for only six months,” said Mr Chibi, speaking at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), where Cassava is showcasing several Vaya services.
Vaya’s On Demand suite of services has quickly grown to include a bouquet of services falling under Vaya Mobility, and another falling under Vaya Logistics.
According to Dorothy Zimuto, the CEO of Cassava On Demand services:
“We have got Vaya Mobility and Vaya Logistics. Vaya Mobility incorporates our hail riding services that transport people. These include Vaya Premium Car Service, Vaya Carpool, Vaya Shuttle, Vaya Hopper, and Vaya Ambulance.”
She added that Vaya Mobility would soon be launching Vaya Rural and a Vaya Intercity Bus Schedule, Vaya Touring and Safaris, Vaya Air Services, Vaya School Shuttle and Vaya Cross Border Service.
Turning to Vaya Logistics, Ms Zimuto described it as the Vaya business portfolio that transports goods and services.
“Vaya Logistics offers Vaya Express Delivery, Vaya Van Delivery, Vaya Truck, Vaya Tractor, Vaya Breadown, which is Roadside Rescue,” she said, adding that Vaya Logistics would soon add Vaya Haulage Trucks to its service suite and Vaya Clean City.
Almost all the Vaya services now being launched have gone through quiet but rigorous pilot testing, to eliminate bugs and validate their use cases ahead of commercial launches.
Ms Zimuto cited Vaya Tractors as an example, saying the tractors had already been actively deployed in the Cyclone-hit Chimanimani and Chipinge areas of Manicaland, and were being used to work in partnership with government agencies and local authorities, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other disaster relief partners to deliver vital logistical support to the local communities.
“Our tractors are still very much involved with the rehabilitation work on the ground there, but as the winter ploughing season approaches, Vaya Tractor services will be scaled up and fully launched across the country for tillage services,” Ms Zimuto said.
Similarly, she said Vaya Logistics was already being used in aid-distribution in the Cyclone-hit areas, and wholesalers and small merchants were also already using Vaya Logistics for deliveries in pilots being run in Bulawayo and Harare.
Meanwhile, Chibi lauded Vaya Mobility and Logistics partners for seeing the business opportunity in the ‘shared economy’ through partnerships, and for being early adopters.
“We at Cassava have always said we see opportunity in solving people’s problems, and these problems – or opportunities – can be customer needs, or they can come as value-creation opportunities through strategic partnerships,” said the Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe CEO.