Jumia Technologies, a pan-African e-commerce platform led by French businessman Jeremy Hodara, has partnered with Zipline, the world’s largest instant delivery service, to deploy automated, on-demand delivery for African e-commerce.
Through the partnership, Jumia will integrate Zipline’s automated on-demand delivery system with its existing network, allowing customers to receive instant on-demand delivery of exactly the products they want, exactly when they want them, and from the comfort of their own homes.
“Using the latest instant logistics technology will allow Jumia to offer our consumers on-demand delivery of the products they need – instantly,” Apoorva Kumar, Jumia’s executive vice president and COO, said.
He went on to add that the collaboration with Zipline will support Jumia’s commitment to sustainability and innovation, as well as provide much-needed access to rural and remote areas where traditional delivery services are limited.
Zipline’s instant logistics system is comprised of a world-class autonomy platform, a fleet of light, electric aircraft, and flight management systems, all of which are designed to provide consumers with access to the products they need within 45 minutes or less, while reducing carbon emissions from last-mile delivery by up to 98 percent.
Jumia’s logistics network includes more than 30 warehouses and over 3,000 drop-off and pick-up points spread across the company’s 11-country market.
To better understand the opportunities and challenges of the latest initiative, the leading pan-African e-commerce firm launched a pilot program for the eco-friendly, automated, on-demand, and instant logistics service in Ghana a few months ago.
Jumia is Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, founded in 2012 by Hodara and Sacha Poignonnecis. Jumia Logistics, its proprietary logistics business, and JumiaPay, its digital payment and fintech platform, support its broad-based marketplace.
Experts have classified Jumia’s partnership with Zipline, which is part of its commitment to providing affordable and eco-friendly delivery of online orders for consumers, as a cost-effective delivery option that, if effectively deployed, could cut the firm’s logistics costs.
