In most parts of Africa, public transport remains poorly organised. Massive rural to urban migration has exacerbated what is considered in most countries as an informal sector that operates purely on cash. Bus owners and operators are the cogs that keep the public transport wheels moving for Forty per cent of the continent’s one billion people that live in urban areas with 90 per cent of passengers on the continent relying on motorized transport for their daily commute.

For an industry that has ‘found order’ and thrived amidst the chaos, the very factors that have kept the ship afloat despite an aversion to structures have brought the public transport sector to its titanic moment. It’s iceberg- the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic impact for businesses in this sector continues to be felt, and though the next normal is still unknown, it’s highly unlikely that things will go back to what they were.

Some big changes are happening in Africa’s public transport sector. However, will tech alone leapfrog infrastructure and regulatory challenges?

Our Chief Business Officer-Payments, David Waithaka shared his thoughts with the TechWeez team and what it will take for the public transport industry to embrace the digital wave. Click here to read