Drone delivery picks up in Africa as Jumia pairs with Zipline
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Loading... - Malika Biloa
- 06 Sep 2022
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Africa-focused e-commerce firm Jumia Technologies has partnered with drone-delivery startup Zipline to deliver household items to remote areas of Ghana, the companies said on Thursday.
The venture will combine San Francisco-based Zipline's automated, on-demand delivery system with Jumia's distribution network to enable customers from remote and rural areas to order and receive electronics, cosmetics, fashion and other products.
Jumia, an online marketplace for vendors and food sellers, with associated services including logistics and payments, was the first Africa-focused tech start-up to list on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019. It has a current market capitalisation of $741 million, according to Refinitiv data.
The new venture is part of Jumia's plan to reach its growing customer base in such areas, which make up about 27% of the company's deliveries, a Jumia spokesman told Reuters, adding he could not immediately give financial details of the project.
"This will... provide much-needed access to rural and remote areas where conventional delivery services have challenges," said Apoorva Kumar, Jumia Group chief operating officer.
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