KAMPALA 30 November 2022: SafeBoda, Uganda’s super ride-hailing service app, has partnered with a global financial enabler and solar energy solutions company, d.light to empower its driver community with affordable smartphones.
The announcement was made during a press briefing at the SafeBoda Academy. The partnership will enable SafeBoda and SafeCar drivers to access smartphones on a hire-purchase basis with an initial deposit, and then complete the payment in a period of 365 days.
Commenting on the partnership, Rapa Ricky Thomson, the SafeBoda co-founder and director, appreciated d.light’s efforts of transforming society with Pay As You Go technology.
“As a brand, we believe that the future of urban transportation is about community, supporting drivers to make more money, and enhancing their welfare. This partnership brings this to life,” Ricky said.
“We are a brand built on the backbone of community development with our SafeBoda and SafeCar drivers forming a big part of this. When the drivers are happy, then we are confident about giving our customers a world-class experience,” he added.
Douglas Gavala, Managing Director at d.light Uganda Limited, welcomed the partnership with SafeBoda, saying “I believe will go a long way in increasing Smartphone penetration in the Safe Boda Rider Community.”
He noted that this partnership is about enabling the rider community to acquire smartphones in the most financially convenient way that doesn’t affect their cash flow.
“We all have to appreciate that a smartphone is more than just a phone. It is an enabler for work, business, education, and access to a wealth of information,” he said.
SafeBoda recently added an option to order a car on its app, with the SafeCar product.
In this new offering, the company prioritizes convenience and gives more control to the customer, while ensuring the driver is as well satisfied. One way of doing so is by subsidizing the cost of the devices they use.
The smartphones offered to drivers include Nokia and Samsung. Interested drivers are required to make an initial deposit at the SafeBoda Academy, and complete their payment by making daily, weekly, bimonthly, monthly, and quarterly payments.