The biggest online store in Africa, Jumia, announced a new partnership with Zipline, an instant delivery service that has a fleet of lightweight delivery drones. Together, they will be the first to use drones to deliver goods across the continent.
According to the company, Jumia started testing drone delivery in Ghana in July and has already started a pilot program. The company has plans to start sending packages by drone to Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, and eventually to other countries as well.
Apoorva Kumar, EVP and Group COO of Jumia, said, “Using the latest instant logistics technology will allow Jumia to offer our customers on-demand delivery of the products they need.”
“This will support Jumia’s commitment to sustainability and innovation and give rural and remote areas, where traditional delivery services have trouble reaching, access they need.”
Jumia says that at first, the partnership will focus on figuring out how to integrate Zipline’s drone delivery system with Jumia’s logistics operations as smoothly as possible to improve the customer experience.
Testing will also show which Jumia customers want automated delivery the most, as well as which Jumia products are the most popular.
“Overall, we will use our very trusted, safe, and efficient instant logistics system to make shopping for Jumia customers easier, more convenient, and more sustainable than ever before,” said Daniel Marfo, SVP – Zipline Africa.
Zipline’s instant logistics system is made up of a world-class autonomy platform, a fleet of light, electric aircraft (drones), and flight management systems that cut greenhouse gas emissions by 98% compared to delivery by car.
This system is meant to make it possible for all customers, whether they live in a city or in the middle of nowhere, to get the goods they need in 45 minutes or less, while reducing carbon emissions by up to 98% compared to traditional cars.
