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The app that’s speeding up deliveries in traffic
A Nigerian start up is changing how people get their goods through a digital system and mobile app.
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The delivery system is tailor-made for Africa and helps drivers navigate the notorious traffic in Lagos and Abuja to speed up deliveries, according to the company.
Courtesy ACE
Run by the people behind the Nigerian online marketplace Jumia, the company Africa Courier Express (ACE) says they can deliver some items in just 30 minutes.
Courtesy ACE
Allowing cash payments opens up the market in a country where cash is still king, according to the founders. A mobile app helps them navigate the streets using GPS.
Courtesy ACE
ACE delivers bank cards, clothes, furniture, vaccines and fried chicken. The GPS allows real time tracking, which reassures customers of the security of their goods and money, the company says.
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Since the launch in 2014, ACE have delivered 350,000 parcels nationwide and work with 1,500 businesses. Around 90% of deliveries are done on a motorbike which makes it easier to move through traffic jams.
PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images
ACE say they have a unique approach to payment and customer identification -- using images and digital signatures -- which helps ensure secure deliveries.
Courtesy ACE
For now, the speedy half-hour delivery is only available for food and drink items, while other goods take between 2 hours to 2 days depending on the item and area.
Courtesy ACE
Allowing cash payment on delivery is crucial, says co-founder Tunde Kehinde, who hopes to expand to neighboring countries in the future.