Kick-off for our PAYG Bicycles pilot in Zambia

After several months of planning, our PAYG bicycles pilot in Zambia is “green for go”. We are partnering with local firm Onyx to trial the use of technology in making access more affordable for the many in Zambia for whom other forms of transport are inaccessible. You can read more about this pilot here (focusing on the problem), here (focusing on our event in Lusaka), and here (focusing on the financial opportunity).

Onyx are mobile money specialists and offered a suite of partnerships that will provide us with an ambitious and holistic approach to the pilot.

Bicycles continue to be a lifeline for many of the poorest in Zambia, playing a critical role in enabling workers to access employment, small traders to access markets and for many others to build livelihoods.

Over coming weeks and months Onyx will be working with target customer segments, such as small-holder farmers, teachers and security guards to see whether a PAYG model can enhance affordability and access. This will involve testing both the technology itself and the benefits it brings, as well as the business and operating model required to make the whole package a success.

A core part of our focus for the pilot is on moving towards a commercially viable model — so our work starts this week with both Onyx and DFID Zambia engaged in the Impact Capital Africa event in Lusaka. Here we will meet with a range of global and regional impact investors to test their interest in the model and explore future support mechanisms beyond the pilot phase.

With initial workshops for the pilot having already commenced, Onyx will soon start sharing their learnings to date.

It’s an exciting time for all of us!