Addis Ababa’s Water Shortage Inspires Ride-hailing Firm to Introduce On-demand Water Delivery

Zoza Technologies, a ride-hailing service provider in Addis Ababa, has integrated an on-demand water delivery feature into its platform to address the capital’s water shortage.

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Introduced in early 2024, the service is accessible through the Nisir app, and a call center (8865). Users can place orders starting from a minimum of 1,000 liters at a rate of 1.20 birr per liter.

Since its launch, Nisir has onboarded around 150 tank trucks and currently delivers an average of 4,000 liters per day. Once the request is put in, the water is delivered within a few hours.

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Yodit Tegegne, a salesperson at Nisir Rental Services, told Shega that the platform is designed to address the prevailing water issues in the capital. 

According to Weaspire, an educational and research think tank focused on the health and welfare of Africans, there is a 60% gap between water demand and supply in Addis Ababa. This indicates that not all residents, including those with in-house connections, will have continuous access to clean water. Nearly all neighborhoods in Addis Ababa receive water on a rationed schedule with some places getting water once or twice a week.

“Our main clients are businesses like hotels and hospitals,” Yodit says. “We also receive calls from people living in condominiums and apartments. Our trucks can pump water up to second-floor residences.”

Zoza Technologies, the company behind Niser, previously ventured into the ride-hailing business with Zoza Cabs, launched in early 2023.

The platform initially targeted short and medium distances with slashed prices. However, Zoza Cabs failed to gain traction in the market and was forced to shut down.

The company has since pivoted its ride-hailing operation to a car rental service with packaged options.

“It’s similar to a ride service, but users can travel wherever they want within the kilometer limit of their chosen package,” Yodit explains. Both the car rental and water delivery services are accessed through the Nisir platform.