Local start-up Sendr wants to disrupt the local courier market.
The smartphone-based mobile app courier service was rolled out last year, and is available in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria and Durban.
Last week, the start-up launched its Android version of the app, a few months after it unveiled the iOS app.
Speaking to ITWeb following the Android app launch, Sendr's co-founder, George Sibotshiwe, said Sendr is a digital on-demand service that offers courier services point-to-point within South African cities.
"It's a product that operates in metropolitan environments and is used for personal concierge services or personal delivery of parcels. For example, if you forget your laptop at home, you can use the app to summon a motorcycle to go and pick up the laptop and bring it to you," Sibotshiwe said.
The majority of smartphone users in SA and Africa are Android users as opposed to iOS, so Sendr is expecting a lot of excitement in the app, he pointed out.
The courier system in the South African market has some dominant international players like DHL, Fedex, etc, said Sibotshiwe, adding there are also some established players in the local market such as Courier Guy and Courier IT.
"We have been working on building a disruptive solution for the courier market - a solution that allows an individual to be able to request a drop-off without the need to walk into a store. Most importantly, Sendr wants to offer this service with speed, security and ease of use. That's the crux of our idea - to go into the courier market, disrupt the market by introducing technology, and in particular introduce motorcycles as opposed to cars and trucks."
According to Sibotshiwe, if the parcel that needs to be picked up is within a 30km radius in Johannesburg, for example, it would take less than an hour to deliver. Within that radius, it costs R85 to make use of Sendr, and after that, there will be a per-kilometre charge added.
"So far, we have been meeting 100% of our target in terms of the time that we promise. Because we are making use of motorcycles, traffic issues do not affect us."
The first 100 motorcycles are owned by Sendr. After the first batch of motorcycles, the company opened up the business to individuals or investors who would want to buy motorcycles and put them on the Sendr platform.
However, the start-up says it follows a due diligence process in ensuring the individuals who join are reliable, trustworthy and knowledgeable in customer service. "We have a specification of the type of motorcycle that the individual needs to own. The motor cycle drivers also undergo a training programme in basic customer service."
In the event that a parcel gets damaged or lost, Sibotshiwe says Sendr has insurance for the goods that it carries. "At the moment, we have got insurance of up to R5 000; we will continue to increase this insurance as we learn our market."
On iOS, Sendr is nearing 1 000 downloads and so far, it has invested R7 million in the business and is looking to get into the market for an additional round of investment.
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