Ride-hailing startup GoZem has launched operations in Togo, with plans to expand into other countries and verticals in the short-term.
Launched last month on the back of raising US$900,000 in funding in June, GoZem is for now focused on motorcycle taxis in Togo, but will add cars next year.
It has already completed more than 1,500 rides, onboarded more than 100 drivers and had over 8,000 customers download its app, but is planning almost immediate expansion.
“Our strategy is to expand to new countries, starting in H1 2019 with Benin and Cameroon, and develop new verticals, such as food delivery and last mile delivery,” said Martin Lehmann, who is in charge of fundraising at Reengine Ventures, the company behind GoZem.
“Public transportation services are inefficient and unreliable, and private transportation service are disorganised and unsafe. The only solution to these problems is GoZem.
Though companies such as SafeBoda, SafeMotos, Taxify and Uber operate across various East African markets, GoZem does not face a huge amount of competition within its target markets, and is banking on quick expansion in order to corner the market.
“We base our strategy on expansion. In six months we will be live in three countries – Togo, Benin and Cameroon – and after that we will continue to expand in the CFA Franc Zone, plus Nigeria, Rwanda and Ghana,” Lehmann said.
