This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
Glovo, a food and delivery service, has expanded its operations to Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) with an innovative approach using skaters to deliver orders within minutes.
According to Glovo's General Manager, William Bentall, the firm has launched its services in CBD with an aim to meet the growing demand for its services. Bentall told TechMoran that Glovo has recently raised $179m for global expansion and is looking to expand into Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa.
Speaking on the firm's choice of Kenya as one of its earliest markets in Africa, Bentall said, 'Kenya is a hub for East Africa and has a pool for riders. Its population is not as big but there is a culture of delivery already from restaurants, pharmacies, drinks and even among offices and online stores.'
Glovo is also working with various government agencies in Kenya to address the issue of heavily charged two-wheeler motorcycles operating in Nairobi's CBD. The firm has a B2B interface for SMEs and corporate firms but is currently pushing its consumer-facing platform to sign up as many users as possible.
With over 500 riders already signed up, Glovo takes a percentage of the merchant's value sold depending on their agreement with the partners. The firm schedules shifts to make sure those working for it are available, and a shift can be an hour or a whole morning or afternoon or a whole day.
According to Bentall, Glovo's pay is competitive and depends on the riders' rating according to quality and reliability. The firm's delivery fees of Ksh 50 for food and Ksh 100 for everything else is better than its competition, and it also gives a 1hr delivery guarantee.
