There’s an ongoing mobility revolution across African cities.
After Uber launched its ride-hailing service in Johannesburg in August 2013 with South African footballer Mark Fish as its first passenger in Africa, the number of ride-hailing startups grew rapidly to over 56 in 2016. Over the last few years there’s been an emergence of specialized ride-hailing solutions from two-wheelers to auto-rickshaws and very recently, boats. We’ve also seen haulage tech startups attempting to bring efficiency to a legacy sector. Significant investment has gone into the sector in the last few months. Motor-bike taxis alone raised about $12 million just between May and June of 2019. Egypt-based bus sharing service, Swvl also raised US$42 million in June.
However, the sector is not only nascent in many parts of Africa, it is barely scratching its potential. For example, regulatory and infrastructure bottlenecks have limited two-wheelers from quickly expanding to the areas where they are most needed. On July 7 2019, the Addis Ababa Mayor, Takele Uma, announced a ban on motorcycles, citing violent crimes. More cities are also taking a hard stance towards motorcycles. Yet poor road infrastructure and traffic congestion make them one of the most efficient forms of transportation in many regions. Micro-mobility startups (scooters & bicycles) are few and far in-between, leaving the opportunity for a whole new industry to emerge.
On the 27th of September at 9 am, TechCabal is bringing together the most knowledgeable and influential mobility entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers to explore, discuss and define the potential of Africa’s mobility sector, the challenges and what the future holds.
The event will provide deep insights into the sector and set an agenda for future growth. It will offer newcomers to the sector and players in adjacent sectors insight into what the most influential startups are doing. Smaller startups in this space will get to hear the biggest investors speak about what value they look for as they make their investment decisions. Investors will find a rich gathering of the most innovative up and coming startups in the space showcasing their solutions. And regulators will have the opportunity to speak with the biggest players and investors, directly sharing knowledge about their concerns and what they need for success.
Confirmed speakers include Omobola Johnson, Nigeria’s former minister of communications and Senior Partner at TLcom Capital, Uche Ogboi, who was recently appointed COO at Lori Systems, Obi Ozor, CEO at Kobo360, Oluwatoyin Oshinowo, Co-founder/VP Product at FieldInsight, Taiwo Kamson Ketiku, VP Investments at EchoVC, Adetayo Bamiduro, CEO at MAX and Osarumen Osamuyi, Founder at The Subtext.
Click here if you would like to know when ticket sales go live. For sponsorship opportunities contact Chidi Uguru via chidi@bigcabal.com. You can apply for press passes here and get discounts for group tickets here. If you have a transport or logistics product you would like to showcase, apply here for an opportunity to demo it at the event.
TC Townhall: Mobility is supported by Zone Tech Park.
