Jumpin Rides (Visit website)
Location: South Africa
Sector: Transport Technology
With the road being the major form of transportation particularly in Africa, High passenger transport costs are a barrier to economic growth and social mobility. Therefore, the demand for safe and cheap transportation from one place to another is increasing. Many transportation platforms offer rides from one place to another in south-Africa but these rides are expensive and unsafe. As a result, passengers are unwilling to book rides on these platforms.
Reasons for travelling and distances travelled in south Africa vary. The government focuses its attention on short to medium-distance travellers. The development of infrastructure and budgets directed towards rail-way systems, buses, and taxis shows this. The solution to medium and long-distance travellers which include tourists and workers have been given low funding. Jumpin Rides managing director Pauline du Paty said “We noticed that the main concern for South Africans is the efficiency of public transportation systems in terms of affordability, safety, reliability, accessibility, and flexibility. The idea was to create a solution to make travelling easier, safer, and affordable for every South African,”
SOLUTION TO THESE TRANSPORT CHALLENGES
To address these challenges, French-born Pauline du Party founded Jumpin Rides in July 2016. He teamed with Antoine Paillusseau and Romain Diaz, which now have more than 10 000 users on its platform. Jumpin Rides is a unique carpooling solution to travel in South Africa. Jumpin Rides connects drivers with empty seats to passengers going the same way in South Africa. Jumping Rides as of February 2017 was boosting 500 registered users which have now increased to over 10000 users. This shows that the company is aggressively gaining traction by proving a solution to the local needs of people which include saving money and fuel. Jumpin Rides carpooling service reduces accumulated carbon emission in south Africa thereby contributing to a reduction in global warming
MARKET FOCUS
Jumpin rides initial focus is very much on the South African market, though it does not rule out expansion internationally down the line. They aim to connect students travelling long distances several times from and to their various campuses to cut their travel costs and provide a cheap alternative to far distance travelling by other mediums. “Today, we are only targeting the South African market and responding to a need: giving a safe, flexible, and fun transport solution to people,” she said in the interview. Tourists who travel long distances to their various destinations are also targeted by Jumpin rides which made them partner with Several festival organizers to provide an easy transportation platform on their various pages.
THE BROADER VISION
Jumpin Rides aims to create a community that is based on sharing resources and experiences. Turning your trips into cheap, safe, and affordable social experiences is their main goal. was further elaborated by Jumpin Rides’ Managing Director Pauline du Party “South Africa comes from a tragic history of conflict and divide. But we are seeing so many local initiatives that are aiming to reconnect us. We all want to explore our world and share our stories with others. Carpooling is a movement that embodies both of these natural desires, in a way that is accessible, affordable, and fun!”.
LISTS FEATURING JUMPIN RIDES
- Ride-Sharing Companies
- South Africa Female Founded Companies
- Private Africa Companies (Top 10K)
- EM Lyon Business School Alumni Founded Companies
MODE OF OPERATION
Jumpin Rides create a platform through their web services. Drivers register on the platform so that they can be verified and assessed before they can use the platform. Verified drivers post their routes and destinations on this online platform. Drivers get to know passengers that are commuting on the same route. A decision of the final details of the trips will then be made among themselves. These include cost and pick-up points etc.
CAPITAL AND FUNDING
Far Ventures invested the first capital along with its management team to build the product and initial traction for its carpooling platform. The ride-sharing platform based in Cape-town revealed that they were able to raise $177K in funding over 2 rounds. Their latest funding was on July 27, 2018, from a seed round.
Jumpin rides have over 10000 registered users. Approximately 75% of these users are passengers while the other 25% are drivers. Rides booked through their web services are equally spread between short travels (less than 50km), Mid-distance travels (50km to 200km), and long-distance travels (more than 200km). This shows that the company responds to the demands of people in the market greatly.
With continuous funding and user adoption, Jumpin Rides aims to expand across other African markets. Kenya is their next market to explore. I believe Jumpin Rides is on track to be the best ride-sharing platform in Africa.
