Jumia Offers its Last-Mile Delivery Network to Send Supplies to Health Workers Battling Covid-19 in African Countries
E-commerce company, Jumia has developed a strategy to help the government curb the spread of Coronavirus in the continent. Recently, the Group said it is willing to work with African governments by employing its last-mile delivery network to get the necessary kits and supplies to health care workers battling the deadly Covid-19.
Jumia will also donate masks to health ministries in Nigeria, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Nigeria and Uganda through its network.
Jumia last-mile delivery to the rescue
This development is coming as countries in Africa are scheduled to receive shipments of sanitizers, test kits, face masks and other supplies from the Alibaba Foundation and Jack Ma Foundation.
As movement gets more and more restricted, a suitable and effective means of getting supplies across is needed more than ever.
With Jumia’s existing and functional last-mile delivery network, getting much-needed supplies to locations where they are needed will be faster. It will also support existing efforts to curb the spread of the pandemic.
In addition to that, the e-commerce giant says it is reducing the cost of paying through its digital platform, JumiaPay. Physical exchange of money from hand to hand is one of several ways the virus could spread from person to person, therefore it is necessary to encourage reduced use of naira notes as much as possible.
Other startups in the fight against COVID-19 in Africa
Besides Jumia, a number of other tech companies have also made significant efforts in the fight against coronavirus. Kenya’s Safaricom has reduced the amount it charges for transactions on its mobile money platform; Mpesa.
Safaricom took this step as a response to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s call to increase cashless transactions in the country. This will reduce or eliminate one of the ways the COVID-19 is transferred around.
CcHub has announced funding for startups that are developing solutions that will reduce the impact of the pandemic economic or social-wise.
To meet the needs of getting the right information across to people, Jumia has partnered with health ministries to use its website and mobile apps to get the right information to people.
According to the CEO of Jumia, Sacha Poignonnec, “I don’t have a crystal ball and no one knows what’s gonna happen”, he said.
However, Jumia is willing to use its assets to aid the government’s efforts on the continent. The additional assets are subject to the government’s approval, Sacha concluded.
Having logistics in place for timely distribution and collection of supplies is one more card in place for the continent against a wider spread of the pandemic.
