Gozem - Afrikan Heroes

Ride-hailing Startup Gozem Inks $10M Contract With IFC

June 14, 2022

Six thousand moto-taxi drivers in Togo and Benin now have access to vehicle financing thanks to a $10 million partnership between the West African super app Gozem and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

This enables moto-taxi drivers to purchase or rent electric bicycles in an effort to increase their take-home pay. In this area, gasoline-powered motorcycles are the primary form of transportation. The partnership between Gozem and IFC will also educate drivers on the benefits of electric motorcycles, which may drastically cut carbon emissions.

Gregory Costamagna, co-CEO and co-founder of Gozem

According to a press release provided by Gozem, there are over 12 million mototaxi drivers in the informal economy of West and Central Africa. To fund their automobiles, the majority of drivers lack access to regular banks and microfinance institutions. Instead, they rely on moneylenders who demand significantly higher interest rates, typically exceeding 70% yearly.

Gozem, a smart app that offers a variety of services, including transportation, e-commerce, and financial services, has developed numerous programs in Francophone Africa to assist drivers in increasing their revenue, reducing their operating expenses, and gaining access to education.

It began offering reasonable auto financing to its users only fourteen months ago and has already assisted more than two thousand drivers in acquiring vehicles.

Through the new cooperation, Gozem and IFC will fund new vehicles for an additional 6,000 drivers, and “millions more” are reportedly in the works. Gozem and IFC will also test electric bikes under moto-taxi operating settings and construct a network of green battery swapping stations in Togo and Benin to demonstrate that electric bikes may save drivers money over the next year.

Yaotse Francis Eteh, a moto-taxi driver in Lomé, Togo, declares, “Gozem has truly altered my life.” “Their software has enabled me to better manage my finances, allowing me to complete construction on my home.” They lent me money to purchase two bicycles and gave my wife the opportunity to participate in their women’s entrepreneurship program. They have shown me unprecedented faith.”

Gregory Costamagna, co-CEO and co-founder of Gozem, estimates that in order to replace their cars, moto-taxi drivers in West and Central Africa will require access to $3 billion in credit facilities annually. “We are thrilled that IFC has placed its faith in Gozem to be a leader in offering affordable financing options to these underprivileged populations.”

“By collaborating with Gozem, we will enhance the number of green and cheap financing options for moto-taxi drivers who wish to switch to electric bikes. Aliou Maiga, IFC’s regional director for West and Central Africa, adds, “We hope IFC’s investment in these underserved communities will attract other investors and expedite the elimination of poverty and greenhouse gas emissions in these markets.”

Gozem is widely recognized as the leading mega app in Francophone Africa. It presently runs in 13 cities spanning Togo, Benin, Gabon, and Cameroon with a million registered customers who have performed 10 million trips since its November 2018 start.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is the world’s largest development institution concentrating on the private sector in emerging nations. It operates in more than one hundred countries and contributed a record $31.5 billion to private firms and financial institutions in developing nations in 2014.

Carbon Bank Launches Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) App

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Gozem, West African Super App Launches Operations in Cameroon

February 19, 2022

The West African super app Gozem which is already operational in Lome, Cotonou, Libreville, and several other West African cities, has announced the launch of its taxi-booking service in Douala, Cameroon.

Gozem was first launched in Togo in November 2018 as a taxi-hailing service, and operates in 12 cities across Togo, Benin, Gabon and Cameroon, with more than one million downloads and over seven million trips since its launch.

The startup has been pivoting towards a super app model, a process accelerated by a US$5 million funding round secured last year, and now provides a suite of services, including transportation, e-commerce and financial services, to three types of customers in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa – consumers, transportation providers, and businesses.

It is now expanding its operations, with Cameroonians now able to download the Gozem app, available on Android and iOS, and order a taxi at the click of a button.

“We are very excited to bring Cameroonians a simplified, safer, and more convenient taxi cab solution. Based on our experience in other Francophone markets across West and Central Africa, we are convinced that Gozem’s innovative offering will create real value for Douala’s passengers and drivers now, and others across the country in the near future. Very soon, we will expand the range of services we offer in Cameroon to include motorcycles and delivery services, based on the needs of users,” said Jean-Martial Moulaud, Gozem group director.

In addition to the taxi cab ride-hailing service announced now, Gozem will soon offer Cameroonians the ability to order motorcycle and tricycle (tuk tuk) taxis, as well as delivery of groceries, gas bottles, meals, and more via the all-in-one Gozem super app.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Learning From Gozem Country Manager On How To Run A Mobility Startup In French-speaking Africa

January 14, 2022

Lionel Mobi is a holder of a Master’s degree in Supply Chain Management from the Catholic University of Saint-Jérôme de Douala and has been the country director of Gozem in Benin since June 2021. He previously worked as the head of e-commerce operations at Jumia in Cameroon and later in Ghana. As a prelude to the official debut of its activities in Cameroon, he shares the aspirations, problems, and hopes of this startup specializing in banking, transportation, and e-commerce services.

Gozem’s Driving Force

Gozem is a multifunctional application (super App) that brings together a number of diverse but connected services on a single interface, including urban people and goods transportation and e-commerce with a delivery-on-demand approach. Our application unites three critical stakeholders in a very concrete way, thanks to technology. Who are the stakeholders: drivers, also known as “champions” (motorcycles, tricycles, and cars), merchants (including restaurants, grocery stores, and supermarkets), and the end customer, who can either move or transport a package using the first stakeholder (the champions), or order a meal or an item from one of our merchants and have it delivered to their doorstep using our fleet of valiant champions.

You understand that champions are at the heart of our business. We were able to build a third vertical, fintech, using the statistics of their operations that we have in our possession as well as our closed electronic wallet. It enables us to provide these champions with the necessary products and equipment for their operations (telephones, insurance, helmets, automobiles, and so on), as well as payment options based on a “Work and Pay” model.

What Gozem Is Doing Different In Togo, Gabon, Benin, And Cameroon

As previously said, our services are largely geared at addressing urban mobility issues: in the three countries of Togo, Gabon, Benin, and very soon in Cameroon, we currently have over 4,000 vehicles (motorcycles, tricycles, and cars) (while waiting for the Cameroon). It’s never been easier to get around than when you’re with us. All you need is a phone, place your race order, and one of our champions will arrive in within 5 minutes. The fee is low and known ahead of time (no lengthy discussion), and the champion (driver) has completed training and a background check (Know your customer). As a result, Gozem has double-checked everything and can simply escalate to him if there are any difficulties, ensuring safety.

Next, we recommend that electronic commerce be accelerated. Indeed, there is no longer any need to explain that internet commerce will play a larger role in trade in the coming years. To participate in this expansion, Gozem brings together three fundamentals (logistics capacity, technology, and marketing). We complete this fundamental square by forming partnerships with merchants, allowing us to establish ourselves as a prominent player in this vertical. Our mission is to provide new business prospects for our merchant partners as well as a new, simple, and efficient shopping experience for our customers.

Finally, we hold our champions in high regard. Upon integration, all of our champions get training on modules such as the Highway Code, digital (usage of our app and GPS), “Customer service,” and so on. In comparison to what is done in the urban transportation environment, this allows us to create champions with actual added value. When you consider the essential necessities of being a Gozem champion, such as helmets (02), smart phones, and insurance, this increased value becomes even more apparent. As a result, we are assisting in the formalization of a sector in which the players have been left to their own devices for a long time.

We are even capable, with the data of their activity that we have, of developing a kind of “credit scoring”, which allows us to finance their equipment. This is how in Benin and Togo we have more than 1,500 champions, who were able to change their vehicles thanks to our “Work and Pay” model.

We can even construct a kind of “credit score” system based on the data we have about their activities, allowing us to finance their equipment. As a result of our “Work and Pay” concept, we now have over 1,500 champions in Benin and Togo who have been able to upgrade their automobiles.

Gozem mobility — *Lionel MOBI (Director General Gozem Bénin) and Daniel Malangue-Cotonouboy (Duchess of Château Fort representative) during a recent partnership between the two parties. Source: Gozem.*

How To Run A Startup In A Low Internet Access Area

Indeed, the expansion of the digital economy necessitates widespread access to high-speed internet and digital media (smartphones in particular). Year after year, internet penetration rates are constantly increasing in all of the countries where we are. While we wait for these stats to improve, we’re working with telecoms companies to get our application a “zero rating.” When you use one of our services, your internet package is essentially not consumed. Other, even more complex technology initiatives are now being developed to overcome this barrier to internet accessibility.

See Infrastructure Deficit As An Opportunity Rather Than A Problem

The state of the roads mostly raises operational expenses and makes transportation more difficult. If there are bad roads, we have no control over them, and this is undoubtedly a detriment to our business, but we see it from a different perspective. From this perspective, our solutions are even more relevant, given that they minimize our champions’ operational expenses by acting on other aspects such as access to consumers without having to run all over town, or even access to finance options to equip yourself. With our pick-up at the bottom of the door, our lowered and transparently defined costs, and the relative comfort of our transportation solutions, we also lessen the drudgery of mobility for our clients.

Finally, we employ a digital addressing system, specifically the usage of GPS coordinates. We’ve also added features like “Landmarks,” which lists thousands of well-known locations on a digital map for each city. These two tools help us to avoid dealing with the great majority of issues we come across.

Digital Professions Are No Different From Their Traditional Counterparts

You must recognize that, aside from technical (web development, etc.) and specialized (digital marketing) fields, digital professions are not wholly distinct from their equivalents in more traditional fields. A salesperson in the field of mass distribution, for example, may easily become a salesperson at Gozem Food. All you have to do now is learn some digital “Soft Skills.” As a result, I believe that rather than dedicated training courses, training modules concentrating on this expanding new economy should be developed in order to broaden the spectrum of skills and prospects for new graduates.

I’ve been working in this sector for seven years. I am fortunate to hold reasonably prominent roles with big players on the continent, and I believe that passion and a drive to learn are the most crucial success aspects in our sector. The issues in our environments are vast, and digital solutions are fresh. Each obstacle is an opportunity to learn; you’ll need committed “doers” who are fascinated with harmonizing the technological answer with the challenges on the ground. We will quit if we don’t like this job and aren’t willing to always go the extra mile when challenges arise. Because there are so many obstacles to overcome.

Traditional Taxis Don’t Always Have To Be Competitors

No, not at all! We are not competitors. On the contrary, we support these actors. They are at the center of the project and not at the periphery. If you read Gozem’s 10 Values, you’ll see three that emphasize the importance of the champion within Gozem. It’s true that novelty is always scary. But, with us, it will be for the best. We are working to reduce operational costs and to promote these players in urban transport. Our goal is to revolutionize and modernize the field of urban transport in Africa, and that will be done with the current players.

Gozem mobility Gozem mobility .Gozem mobility .Gozem mobility .Gozem mobility

Singapore-based Investor Backs Super app Gozem As It Turns To Financial Services

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

How Gozem App Platform is Expanding Operations Across West and Central Africa

December 4, 2021

West and Central Africa’s leading multi-vertical super app platform Gozem has taken the expansion of its operations to the next level buoyed by the closing of a $5 million Series A round raised from corporate and institutional investors spread across four continents with specialities in healthtech, fintech, and mobility. In this round, Gozem attracted worthy investors such as AAIC, Thunes (TransferTo), Momentum Ventures (SMRT), Innoport Ventures (Schulte Group), CMC Ventures (National Express) and Liil Ventures (Mobility ADO).

This round follows a $7 million raised in previous seed rounds from investors such as Plug & Play Ventures (USA), Launch Africa Ventures (South Africa), Bansea (Singapore), Virtual Network (Switzerland), and others. Including today’s Series A, Gozem has raised a total of $12 million to date.

“We are excited and delighted to have attracted global investors that share our common vision of building digital ecosystems. This latest round of financing will be instrumental in helping Gozem develop more services in its Super App and expand geographically,” said Gozem Co-Founder Raphael Dana.

Launched in Lome, Togo in 2018, Gozem began as a single motorcycle-taxi ride-hailing service and in three years has become one of Francophone Africa’s leading Super Apps with a portfolio of services that includes transport of passengers and goods, e-commerce and food delivery, financing, and soon digital banking.

Gozem’s team is now 250 members strong split between its four active markets: Togo, Benin, Gabon and Cameroon. With this latest round of financing, Gozem will prepare its expansion into DRC, Senegal and Ivory Coast.

In addition to geographical expansion, Gozem will continue to deepen its vertical offerings, especially in Fintech with its Lending and Digital Banking solutions that will help Gozem fulfil its goal of empowering local communities.

“In the first 8 months of operations of our Vehicle Leasing program, Gozem has been able to lease close to 1,500 vehicles to drivers. This round of investment will help us accelerate this effort of providing easy and affordable financing solutions to drivers and lease more than 200,000 vehicles in the next 3 years,” said Gozem Co-Founder Gregory Costamagna.

Gozem’s strategic investors will be instrumental in helping Gozem deepen its expertise in each of its business verticals.

“The TransferTo group is excited to participate in the Gozem adventure, to support its needs and bring them its expertise and knowledge of African markets. Gozem’s Super App will soon provide various mobility and digital payment services to millions of users which will help position them as a leader in Francophone Africa,” said Allan Green, Chairman of TransferTo.

“We’re excited to see so many mobility players joining us in this round to help Gozem deploy more mobility features and explore various mass transit opportunities,” said Nadim Matuk, Investment Principal at Liil Ventures.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Singapore-based Investor Backs Super app Gozem As It Turns To Financial Services

December 3, 2021

Gozem, a super app that offers a variety of services in Francophone Africa, including transportation, e-commerce, and financial services, has raised $5 million in Series A funding, according to the business.

Togo and Singapore-basedA AIC, Thunes (TransferTo), Momentum Ventures (SMRT), Innoport Ventures (Schulte Group), CMC Ventures (National Express), and Liil Ventures (Mobility ADO) invested in the latest round.

The latest investment follows a $7 million initial round raised in three tranches from investors including Plug and Play Ventures, Launch Africa, BANSEA, and Virtual Network in the United States. The multi-vertical application has raised more than $12 million in total.

“Where we operate on the continent is kind of what some might call second-tier African markets. But we have an opportunity and believe in the model we’re pursuing. It’s really a wide berth where there’s lesser competition, as discussed across all our verticals. While we are operating in four countries, we want to be embedded across the region over the next year,” co-founder and CEO Emeka Ajene, said.

Costamagna stated in a statement that the financing will assist Gozem reach a population of over 200,000 people by 2025.

Why The Investors Invested

The startup has acquired considerable traction since it was founded three years ago. With over 800,000 registered users and more than 5 million journeys completed, Gozem has recently also expanded to Gabon and Cameroon, and is present in 13 major cities. Gozem has also offered up to 1,500 vehicles to drivers since launching its vehicle lease model.

The startup’s conversion into a super app, with a major focus on fintech services, is also instrumental in deciding the size of the latest investment.

A Look At What The Startup Does

Gregory Costamagna, Raphael Dana, and Emeka Ajene founded Gozem. As a motorbike ride-hailing service, the company began operations in Togo in 2018.

Gozem expanded its transportation verticals to include taxi and tricycle services in numerous cities in Togo and Benin as part of a bid to emulate the Grab and Gojek model in Southeast Asia.

As the virus spread, the platform ceased its regional expansion and shifted its focus vertically. It pioneered e-commerce and logistics, letting merchants to post an inventory of things that customers demand and have them delivered by its drivers.

The company then offered its drivers an asset finance option, using a lease-to-own model for automobiles and related equipment.

The firm’s founders say the company is also focusing on delivering digital financial services and loans to its users.

To make this happen, in all of the cities where Gozem operates, the company wants to employ its current network of marketplace users (drivers and merchants) as agents. Individual users can use the Gozem app to trade cash for mobile money in this way.

“I think we have a fantastic differentiator. Generally speaking, our competitors are the telco, which offers mobile money services, and sometimes you have standalone digital wallets as well,” said Costamagna. “What we’re trying to offer is an integrated wallet solution that is included in a suite of different services. And so the key difference in the market is this.

After three years, Gozem now employs 250 people across four countries.

Gozem super app Gozem super app

South African Talent Platform OfferZen Lands $5.2m, After 6 Years Of Bootstrapping

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Togolese Super App, Gozem, Expands To Cameroon, To Offer Fintech And Ecommerce Services

November 17, 2021

Africa focused ride-hailing service, Gozem, will begin its activities in Cameroon in the coming days.

“Cameroon is in full swing, as I can confirm. It’ll be a week, if not a few days, before you know it. The teams are all set and ready to go. The goal is to build a fantastic software that brings together a variety of services on a single interface, including goods and people transportation, e-commerce, and financial technology,” said CEO Emeka Ajene.

Gozem Cameroon — *Gozem co-founder, Emeka Ajene. Credits: Gozem*

Gozem was founded in 2019 by Emeka Ajene and Raphael Dana, operating an app that offers transportation, logistics, e-commerce and financial services in primarily-francophone African countries.

After launching operations in Gabon in May 2021, Gozem will be able to increase its footprint in Central Africa by extending its activities in Cameroon. In addition to increasing competition in the market for applications that provide various financial, transportation, and e-commerce services, the startup hopes to expand the number of users of its platform, which is now believed to be over 500,000.

This startup’s presence in Cameroon is primarily part of a continental expansion strategy that will soon take it to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After Togo, Benin, Gabon, and Cameroon, it’s now Cameroon’s turn. The operator plans to grow into six more markets over the next two years, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Rwanda.

Second Acquisition For Egyptian Ride-sharing Startup SWVL, Via ViaPool, As It Goes To Latin America

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning write

When A Startup Goes Early On Succession Planning: Lessons From Super App, Gozem

May 22, 2021

The startup bubble in Africa is relatively new on the continent, and so stories of successful startups still revolve largely around “hero” founders seen as single-handedly responsible for the destiny of the startups they founded. But the Togo-based super app, Gozem, does not seem to be buying into this popular route. The three-year-old startup, co-founded by a Nigerian Emeka Ajene, and Singaporeans Gregory Costamagna and Raphael Dana, has embarked on a rigorous two-year Graduate Training Program for locals who hold relevant degrees in business administration. The training has long been kick-started in Togo and Benin Republic, the startup’s major countries of operations.

Gozem hopes to instill in the trainees information concerning the startup’s entire activities at the same time reinforcing their skills, through the program.

“The Graduate Training Program aims to recruit our managers of tomorrow, in the local markets where we operate,” said Anne-Claire Longour, Global Human Resources Manager at Gozem.

“Candidates selected to join the program will have the opportunity to work on various projects, with various teams and functional units at all levels of the company. They will learn more about Gozem in general and develop the strategic and global thinking we expect from our future managers. It’s a rich and comprehensive training that will help gain a broad knowledge of our entire company,” Longour added.

succession planning startup Gozem — *Gozem is hoping to build a sustainable brand in Africa’s neglected markets. Image credits: Gozem*

Succession Planning When Founders Find Themselves In Foreign Markets

Gozem’s latest move is not particularly unforeseen. It has been an ongoing trend for expat founders in Africa to co-found startups with locals. Despite its successes, the trend has in some cases resulted in internal crises.

For instance, last year, a series of allegations for wrongful dismissal was levelled against expat founder Lauren Dunford. According to sources, Dunford continuously persuaded local co-founder Kennedy Nganga to resign and give up his shares for a separation offer. Dunford only reportedly resorted to trumping up charges against Nganga, and eventually firing him when he refused to comply. A good succession planning policy could have foreseen this and guided the co-founders appropriately in this situation.

A startup can use a succession plan (usually achieved first by setting into motion a comprehensive succession planning policy) to prepare for planned or unplanned absences of its founders, directors or other top management, including key employees. The plans help all key stakeholders to know where the ship is headed in time.

Perhaps one good example of a failure in succession planning in an African company could be gleaned from a recent indicting report by Moody’s, the leading credit-rating and financial analysis agency, concerning the main reason why a foremost commercial bank in the country — Diamond — conceded to a merger with Nigeria’s leading commercial lender — Access Bank. The report particularly made reference to a letter written by a former chairman of Diamond Bank, Seyi Bickerstheth giving some hints on why Diamond Bank’s CEO should be replaced.

“A key shareholder CSSAF DBN Holdings demanded an immediate removal of management, principally the CEO, but the Board favored a less drastic approach to minimise disruption and also enable the Board secure new leadership,” Bickerstheth wrote in the letter.

The eventual restructuring of the bank through a merger scheme largely followed the bank’s inability to constitute a new management team thereafter. A sound succession planning policy would have made all the difference about finding a perfect replacement for the bank’s CEO, while still meeting the expectations of diverse stakeholders.

succession planning startup Gozem succession planning startup Gozem

Do Accelerator Programmes Really Matter For Startups In Africa?

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer who has advised startups across Africa on issues such as startup funding (Venture Capital, Debt financing, private equity, angel investing etc), taxation, strategies, etc. He also has special focus on the protection of business or brands’ intellectual property rights ( such as trademark, patent or design) across Africa and other foreign jurisdictions.
He is well versed on issues of ESG (sustainability), media and entertainment law, corporate finance and governance.
He is also an award-winning writer

Gozem Launches Ride-Hailing Service in Gabon

May 6, 2021

Africa focused ride-hailing service has just gone live in Gabon with plans to expand services to Cameroon and DR Congo. Gozem was founded in 2018 by Emeka Ajene and Raphael Dana, operating an app that offers transportation, logistics, e-commerce and financial services in primarily-francophone African countries.

Gozem is aiming to be the super app for Africa and is modelled after the success of Gojek and WeChat in Southeast Asia and China respectively. While it is only one of many super app candidates in Africa, geographic expansion is a signal of strong intent.

Until the rollout in Gabon, Gozem was only available in cities across Togo and Benin, offering motorcycle taxis, tricycle taxis, and delivery of groceries, gas bottles, and meals.

The company says it has more than 500,000 registered users who have completed more than 2.5 million trips since inception. Gabon will be Gozem’s first operation outside of West Africa. The Central African country’s population is under 2.5 million with almost 75% under the age of 30.

The ride-hailing feature is the only service Gabonese users will find on the app at the moment and it is only available in Libreville, the capital city.

“Our immediate focus is on providing a high-quality, reliable taxi service in that city, and then expanding the range of services we offer to Libreville’s population,” Ajene, Gozem co-founder and CEO, said.

Launching a taxi service in Gabon helps the company “diversify away from our beginnings as a 100% motorcycle-taxi oriented platform.”

With Libreville in the mix, Gozem now operates in 10 cities across West and Central Africa. Ajene notes that most are not capital cities.

“We’ve developed an in-house capability to operate effectively in secondary cities in the region and there are one or two additional cities that you might ultimately see Gozem operating in in Gabon,” he said.

One point of curiosity in this expansion is that Gabon is a smaller country by population compared to Togo (~8 million) and Benin (~ 12 million). Ajene acknowledges that but explains that purchasing power is another consideration that bears on expansion plans.

“Gabon is quite attractive as it’s a wealthier country as measured by GDP than our existing markets, and it’s significantly wealthier as measured by GDP per capita,” Ajene said.

Indeed, Gabon’s 2020 GDP per capita was estimated to be $7,185, more than thrice the sum of Benin’s $1,259 and Togo’s $690.

Gozem’s ride-hailing offering will work in Gabon like a standard app-enabled taxi booking service. Users download, sign up and input their destination to request rides. Driver accepts and the fare is calculated by distance. Users can pay in cash, with Airtel Money or Moov Money, or by credit card.

Raphael Dana, Gozem co-founder, says the launch responds to the needs of the Gabonese population and aligns with Gozem’s long-term plan to organise transport and commerce in Africa around the ongoing smartphone and internet revolution.

“Our ambition is to consolidate our status as the premier super app in Africa, and this expansion to Central Africa, our first foray outside of West Africa, also allows us to prepare our upcoming expansion to Cameroon,” Dana said.

The expansion to Cameroon is on the calendar for this year; DR Congo is also being explored. Beyond moving into new countries to enable taxis however, Gozem plans to make its other verticals compete with incumbents in the markets they currently operate.

“We have robust food & e-commerce delivery verticals, we’re beginning to see a significant impact coming from our vehicle financing vertical as well, and our plans for our full-service wallet are still on track,” Ajene said.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

How Gozem, West African Transport Startup Transitions Into “super app”

September 3, 2020

Togo based Gozem which started out as a ride-hailing business has in the last two years evolved into a behemoth of products and services especially with its transition into an African “super app” as a result of the rollout of a new interface. Established two years ago in Lome, Togo, Gozem was able to raise US$900,000 in funding which helped it expand to neighbouring Benin Republic and added to its transport offering with auto-rickshaws.

In July Gozem launched an e-commerce delivery service in Lome and Cotonou, allowing users to order items via the app and have them delivered to their doorsteps, as it began the process of becoming an all-inclusive “super app”. This transition has now occurred, with the new Gozem interface making it easy for users to access the startup’s various service offerings. Instead of opening the app to find a ride-hailing map, users now see various options that they can quickly choose from to access the exact service desired.

This new app consolidates all of Gozem’s different services – ride-hailing, delivery, e-commerce, and an in-app wallet – into an easy-to-use app interface. The new app is now available in each of the seven cities in which Gozem currently operates, but the available services will differ by city.

“As we launched various new services and verticals over the last year, we heard from our users that if we were able to offer a holistic experience in our app, we’d offer real value by reducing friction and enhancing convenience,” Gozem co-founder Emeka Ajene said.

“To that end, this new super app has been a long time coming, and we’re happy to continue tailoring our products and services to local needs so that our users who live busy lives can get right to the services they want when they want them. By bringing all of our various service offerings into one common space, we’re making navigating our app a lot simpler for our users.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry