Instant planning leader Zipline announced a partnership with African e-commerce platform Jumia that will see the integration of Zipline’s delivery system with Jumia’s distribution network for the deployment of automated, on-demand delivery for e-commerce in Africa. A trial period was conducted across a variety of use cases with a range of assorted products, covering up to 2,500km in testing. Deliveries taking off from the Zipline operational hub in Omenako, Ghana to Jumia hubs up to 85km away were completed in under an hour, carried out with full visibility for all stakeholders in the delivery cycle. The companies plan to expand to Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria, as well as other countries in the future.
Zipline’s instant logistics system features a leading autonomy platform, a fleet of light, electric aircraft, and flight management systems that produce 98% less emissions than delivery by car, all of which come together to provide consumers with the products they need in 45-minutes or less. Jumia’s logistics network consists of more than 30 warehouses and over 3,000 drop-off and pick-up stations throughout 11 countries in Africa. Jumia announced the availability of its services to third parties back in 2020. This partnership reaffirms Jumia’s commitment to offering affordable and eco-friendly deliveries to consumers. The company is additionally working with Solar Taxi in Ghana and eBee in Kenya to attain a fully green footprint using clean and sustainable renewable energy.