Uber has been one of the biggest enablers of free-market capitalism in the last decade, allowing persons with just the use of their car and smartphone, to successfully launch their own business, work their own hours, earn a decent wage, and take charge of their lives. As Ethiopia continues to strive for economic development and the betterment of its people, we look to create similar opportunities within our country. My name is Habtamu Tadesse, founder of ZayRide, and I am currently on the fast track to transforming the taxi hailing sector in Ethiopia.

What is Zayride?

Since its launch in our capital city of Addis Ababa, ZayRide has already gained over 12000 registered users, and completed over 1000 rides. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with persons spending less times waiting for taxis, no longer needing to walk long distances to main roads just to get a ride. Safety is one of our biggest concerns, and drivers go through extensive background checks, so we know who they are, where they are, and what they look like. The ZayRide app itself has been built to function on slower internet speeds, so it has the potential to be applied anywhere in Africa, with minimalized features and low resolution images.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Although we have managed to grow the business to it’s current level of success, I believe that ZayRide, that began with nothing more than my own personal savings, has the potential to go much further. That is why I have begun this campaign, in the hopes of raising US$10,000.

With the funds raised, I am hoping to hire a software engineer and developer to further improve upon the existing app interface. I am also in the process of trying to set up a ZayRide call center, that would not only provide much needed jobs, but allow persons without smart phones to call and request our service. In an effort to help spread the love, we would also like to implement a training course, that would teach local drivers to speak basic English – a necessary skill in the third largest international diplomatic community in the world.

Supporting our project

To those who donate, thank you for your contribution, and I hope that you will continue to follow ZayRide’s progress in the coming year. Even if you are unable to donate at this time, sharing this campaign with family and friends would go a long way in helping to spread the word. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send a message. Ethiopia has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, let us help it grow a little faster.

Please pledge and share project now!