If you need to go somewhere, LEFA offers an ingenious form of public transport – a dedicated taxi or shuttle on demand
Melkies Ausiku, the entrepreneur behind the local shuttle and cab hailing service, LEFA, has just made his first significant breakthrough in partnering with a mobile payment provider to make paying for the service easy, safe and convenient.
Recently Ausiku lamented the dearth of financing for small businesses saying that financiers are only interested in very large projects. This impression he got while attending the Economic Growth Summit held at the beginning of August.
Following his remarks, his case attracted the attention of the Development Bank of Namibia who is now reviewing his application for financing.
In the meantime, Ausiku did not sit back and wait for things to happen. He actively pursued a payment deal with Chris Botha of PayToday with the result that an agreement was announced this week.
“Clients using LEFA can now use PayToday mobile app to pay for their safe and secure ride. LEFA connects clients to shuttle and cab drivers in and around Windhoek through a sophisticated yet simple mobile application system and has been doing so since February, 2018. The LEFA transportation app has gone from strength to strength and partnering with the mobile payment solution PayToday is a natural next step” the two stated when announcing the agreement.
This arrangement eliminates the need for clients to use cash. They can pay the LEFA drivers directly using their smartphones. By simply downloading the LEFA and the PayToday apps the client access both services seamlessly through his or her smart device.
On their progress since the app was launched early last year, Ausiku said; “Using LEFA as a safe and convenient way of getting to your destination has really taken off, with more than 2000 people per month using the service and growing. By partnering with PayToday we are now able to offer an even better and more customer-friendly technology/mobile phone driven transport experience. Cashless payments are the future across the world and with PayToday as a partner we can now offer it right here in Namibia. Something that we are very proud of.”
PayToday’s Botha added “We are excited to partner with fellow local entrepreneur Melkies who shares our passion for technology and innovation. As a pioneer in the mobile payment space in Namibia, this partnership is fully aligned with our vision of making payments easier in every situation.”
Both the LEFA and PayToday apps for mobile phones can be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Once downloaded, passengers register in the application by entering a valid cellphone number and email address. It allows riders to request a shuttle or taxi by simply entering the location where they would like to go. The app allows passengers to view a driver’s information and vehicle details before the ride as well as the ability to track their requested driver in real-time once the ride has been confirmed. If they so wish, passengers can rate the driver using the same app and help LEFA improve its service delivery.
Caption: Melkies Ausiku (left) of the taxi and shuttle hailing service, LEFA, seals the deal with Chris Botha of PayToday. Their agreement allows more convenience for passengers who can now make their payment directly from a smartphone.
