Jumia targets rural, remote areas with drone deliveries

You will soon be able to receive your Jumia orders via drones.

This is after Jumia joined forces with Zipline, the world’s largest instant delivery service to deploy automated, on-demand delivery using drones in Africa.

This will enable customers to receive instant, on-demand delivery of the products they want, exactly when they want them and from the comfort of their homes.

The pilot programme and testing were launched a few months ago in Ghana.

An initial pilot was carried out across multiple use cases with varying product assortment logging up to 2,500km in testing.

Deliveries to outlying Jumia hubs as far as 85km from the take-off location at the Zipline operational hub in Omenako (Ghana) were completed in less than one hour with real-time visibility of the drone for all stakeholders in the delivery cycle.

“Using the latest instant logistics, technology will allow Jumia to offer our consumers on-demand delivery of the products they need instantly. Whether they’re ordering electronics, fashion, health, and beauty, or other categories, Zipline’s instant logistics system will provide fast and convenient access,” Jumia Group COO Apoorva Kumar said.

“This will support Jumia’s commitment to sustainability and innovation and provide much-needed access to rural and remote areas where conventional delivery services have challenges.”

Jumia’s logistics network includes more than 30 warehouses and more than 3,000 drop-off stations and pick-up stations, located across Jumia’s 11-country market.

In 2020, Jumia announced that its logistics service would now be available to third parties seeking to leverage the network, technology, and expertise for last-mile deliveries across its 11 countries in Africa.

Zipline’s instant logistics system, is made up of a world-class autonomy platform, fleet of light, electric aircraft, and flight management systems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 98 per cent compared to delivery by car.

“This collaboration will increase access to goods for customers and help small and medium-sized businesses grow,” Zipline Africa Senior Vice President Africa Daniel Marfo said.

“Zipline's safe and efficient instant logistics system will make shopping on Jumia even more convenient, sustainable and accessible for its customers.”

This system is designed to enable all consumers, from the most urban to the most remote, to access the products they need in 45-minutes or less.