International Ride-hailing Platform Yango Launches Services in Ethiopia

International ride-hailing service provider Yango has teamed up with local ride-hailing startup ShuuFare to launch services in Addis Ababa.

Yango, which is owned by Yandex, a multinational tech giant based in Russia, operates in 20 countries around the world. Yango entered into an agreement with G2G IT Group, the company behind ShuuFare, designating G2G as a franchise holder responsible for managing Yango’s service operations in the country. With this partnership, Ethiopia becomes the 13th African country where Yango’s services are now available.

Yango does not have country-specific apps, and the ride-hailing app has been downloaded over 10 million times on the Play Store. Launched in 2018, Yango employs its own mapping and routing systems to locate and transport passengers. Globally, the platform boasts around 600,000 registered drivers. The app is available in Amharic language and has begun connecting drivers with passengers today October 4, 2023.

“We are thrilled to announce the partnership with G2G IT Group and bring Yango to Ethiopia. We believe that by combining Yango’s technologies, rich expertise, and international quality standards with ShuuFare’s local expertise and understanding of the Ethiopian market, together we will provide an exceptional ride-hailing service to the people of Ethiopia,” said Adeniyi Adebayo, Head of Africa, Yango.

“Yango is powered by ShuuFare in Ethiopia, which is a local brand with its own legal personality,” Berook Moges, CEO of G2G, told Shega.

G2G, which runs several services, including Telecom Value Added Services (VAS), launched ShuuFare around two years ago. According to Berook, G2G decided to switch its locally developed platform, ShuuFare, with Yango with the goal of deploying a better technology.

Work on bringing Yango to Ethiopia began around 9 months ago, and the team behind ShuuFare has been making the adjustment to move to the new platform, including transitioning the 12,000 registered drivers on ShuuFare to Yango.

Despite the dominance of established brands like Feres and Ride as well as contenders like Zayride and Sergela in the Ethiopian ride-hailing market, the team behind Yango remains optimistic.

“To the extent the economy allows, there is a certain ride-hailing market. In any economy, there is always room for competition. The question is, can you offer better products and services? Yango’s technology is tailored to meet both passengers’ savings needs and drivers’ earnings aspirations, and this sets it apart in the market,” said Berook.

Regarding pricing, Yango has stated that it comes with competitive rates and a unique pricing structure. Yango utilizes its own pricing formula, eliminating the flag-down and per-kilometer fee systems. Additionally, drivers are incentivized with attractive cash prizes for completing specific trip targets each week.

“This partnership marks the beginning of a new era in mobility solutions for Ethiopia, and we are excited to bring this excellent service to our communities.”  added Tedros Mehari, CTO at G2G IT Group.

Founded in 2016 by a group of Ethiopian diasporas with backgrounds in the IT industry, G2G operates across four market areas: VAS, IT infrastructure, security, and transport and logistics systems.

“G2G is the result of shared vision among company owners, all of whom are members of the diaspora, returning to their homeland to make a significant impact,” said Berook, who lived in the US for over two decades.

In 2017, G2G became one of the first private Internet service providers in Ethiopia, establishing itself as a virtual internet service provider (VISP).