On 31st of July 2022, a Yango delegation led by Ms Kabanda Chewe, the Country Manager for Zambia and Anton Zykov, Yango Head of international government relations projects, was granted an audience with the Minister of Transport and Logistics Hon. Frank Tayali accompanied by Acting Director Planning and Monitoring Mrs. Irene Tembo and Public Relations Officer for the Ministry Mr. Ndubi Mvula. During the courtesy call current changes in legislation and basic topics concerning ride hailing industry regulation were discussed.
The Yango delegation made a comprehensive presentation of its business model in Zambia. Ms Chewe offered to share best practices from across 20 Yango geographies in the field of urban transport. Yango underlined that affordability and digitalisation are very important for sustainable development of modern transport means such as online taxis.
Minister of Transport and Logistics Hon. Frank Tayali noted: “Zambians are enjoying the convenience of Yango, the fact that it provides better service. We see that its presence on the market benefits the creation of new job opportunities with local transport operators which partner with Yango. It gives access to an unprecedented level of earnings for young people. The new regulation will not limit these opportunities”.
Yango hopes that the new statutory instrument will give online taxis an affordable, simple, and fully digital way to continue operating but also allow the government to get its stipend from the rapidly expanding ride-hail sector.
Discussing the business model of Yango, Ms Chewe emphasized a fundamental difference between electronic platforms such as Yango and transport operators: “Yango is an electronic platform, a smart solution for connecting local Zambian transport operators and their clients. We work only with local independent partners – Zambian transport providers who aggregate drivers or have their own fleet.”
Another important topic raised during the meeting was price regulation. Ms Chewe noted: “There is a big change that happens on the market with Yango, the international business, launch. Due to fare competition that benefits all parties, for the first time in the history of the country, taxi rides become more accessible to everyone, which increases mobility and promotes economic growth. For further development and growth of the local market the government should not regulate prices artificially.”
Yango, an international informational service for ordering rides online was launched in Zambia in 2022 on March 29. Today it successfully operates in Lusaka helping facilitate a digital platform for local partners that provide affordable transportation for thousands of passengers every day. Yango has been operating mobility and delivery businesses in 20 countries across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa since 2011.
