World’s leading clean, eco-friendly, automated, on-demand and instant
logistics service will serve Jumia’s consumers upon launch.
Jumia (NYSE: JMIA), the leading e-commerce
platform in Africa, and Zipline, the world’s largest instant delivery service,
announced today a collaboration to deploy automated, on-demand delivery for
e-commerce in Africa. Pilot program and testing were launched a few months ago
in Ghana.
The collaboration will integrate Zipline’s
automated, on-demand delivery system with Jumia’s existing distribution network
to enable customers to receive instant, on-demand delivery of exactly the
products they want, exactly when they want them and from the comfort of their
homes.
“Using the latest instant logistics technology
will allow Jumia to offer our consumers on-demand delivery of the products they
need – instantly. Whether they’re ordering electronics, fashion, health, and
beauty, or other categories, Zipline’s instant logistics system will provide
fast and convenient access. This will support Jumia’s commitment to
sustainability and innovation and provide much-needed access to rural and
remote areas where conventional delivery services have challenges,” said
Apoorva Kumar, EVP Jumia, Group COO.
An initial pilot was carried out across multiple
use cases with varying product assortment logging up to 2,500km in testing.
Deliveries to outlying Jumia hubs as far as 85km from the take-off location at
the Zipline operational hub in Omenako (Ghana) were completed in less than 1h
with real time visibility of the drone for all stakeholders in the delivery
cycle. Eventual plans call for expansion to Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, and
ultimately to other countries in the future.
“Zipline is pleased to partner with Jumia to use
instant logistics to improve the lives of customers across Africa. This
collaboration will increase access to goods for customers and help small and
medium sized businesses grow. Zipline's safe and efficient instant logistics
system will make shopping on Jumia even more convenient, sustainable and
accessible for its customers'', said Daniel Marfo, SVP – Zipline Africa
Jumia’s logistics network includes 30+ warehouses
and 3,000+ drop-off stations and pick-up stations, located across Jumia’s
11-country market. In 2020, Jumia announced that its logistics service would
now be available to third parties seeking to leverage the network, technology,
and expertise for last-mile deliveries across its 11 countries in Africa.
Zipline’s instant logistics system, on the other
hand, is made up of a world class autonomy platform, fleet of light, electric
aircraft, and flight management systems that reduce green-house gas emissions
by 98% compared to delivery by car. This system is designed to enable all
consumers, from the most urban to the most remote, to access the products they
need in 45-minutes or less while reducing the carbon emissions of last-mile
delivery up to 98% compared to traditional cars.
Jumia's partnership with Zipline is part of its
commitment to providing affordable and eco-friendly delivery of online orders
for consumers. In addition to its partnership with Zipline, Jumia works with
Solar Taxi in Ghana and eBee in Kenya to achieve a fully green footprint using
clean and sustainable renewable energy
Source:Peacefmonline