With the festive season approaching, people across Africa are starting to plan their December holidays, and mostly on a shoestring budget, as most citizens were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and have to make do with significantly less.
Once the cost of a hotel or AirBnB, meals and entertainment have been considered, there isn’t much left for expensive flights or car hire, says Joe Moyo, managing director of ridesharing company, Afri Ride.
This is where using a ridesharing service can help. Not only can those going in the same direction share a ride, those wanting to travel solo can hire a car from a willing member, which will greatly reduce car hire expenses.
The grim reality, he says, is that many people lost their jobs during the pandemic, and we are still seeing a slew of retrenchments across Africa. At the same time, everyone is in desperate need of a break, and middle-class citizens are looking for innovative ways to save costs, while still enjoying their annual holiday.
And the benefits go beyond cost savings, Moyo explains. “Holiday season is notorious for fatal car accidents, as the roads out of cities are clogged during the festive season. Ridesharing can dramatically lower the number of cars on the road, when users offer up the unoccupied seats in their vehicles to other authorized users, who are able to book via the Afri Ride app. This not only minimizes traffic but reduces the burden on toll gates and other road infrastructure.”
Similarly, he says users offering their cars on Afri Ride for peer-to peer rentals will get the assistance they need to meet the financial obligations that come with owning a vehicle, such as bank instalments, insurance, and regular maintenance.
“Also, over and above offering their cars for rental, users can also offer their driving services, which means enables members of the ride sharing community to make some extra cash by acting as shuttle service operators, tour guides or simply as drivers on a day-to-day basis. It also allows travellers to enjoy the trip without the stress of dealing with holiday traffic on the national roads.”
Afri Ride is a fresh and innovative pan-African tech company, that offers a new way of ridesharing, using an innovative mobile application that caters to commuters across the continent. We pride ourselves in promoting entrepreneurship and providing solutions that address the age-old issue of mobility in Africa. Our platform connects travellers in Africa through four primary features: Offer A Seat, Find a Seat, Offer A Car and Borrow A Car.
For more information about Afri Ride please visit: www.afri-ride.com
