Togo’s Ministry of Transport has suspended the operations of the ride-hailing app Yango, citing security concerns just months after the platform began its services in the country. Yango, which is owned by Russian tech giant Yandex, faces this ban due to issues related to passenger safety, regulatory compliance, and operational procedures.
In a statement released yesterday, the Ministry explained that Yango had been operating in Togo since June without proper authorization and in violation of the country’s regulations.
“The activities of the operator YANGO are therefore suspended across the entire national territory,” the statement read.
Yango’s Expansion and Impact in Africa
Yango, which provides ride-hailing services through its super-app, operates across more than 20 countries spanning Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Its business model centers on empowering local entrepreneurs and boosting the growth of local partners. The company has ambitious targets for a 30% growth rate by 2024, highlighting its focus on market expansion.
In Africa, Yango first launched in Ivory Coast in 2018 and has since expanded its services to several other countries, including Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, Zambia, and Ethiopia.
Despite the suspension in Togo, Yango remains a key player in Africa’s growing ride-hailing sector, having facilitated over a quarter billion rides on the continent.
Yandex’s Broader Business Portfolio
Beyond ride-hailing, Yandex operates a diversified portfolio of services globally, including autonomous delivery solutions, maps, fintech, e-commerce, cloud storage, and media services. Led by Nikita Gavrilov, Yango’s regional head for autonomous delivery, the company is at the forefront of innovations in last-mile delivery.
Yandex’s autonomous delivery robots are poised to reshape the logistics industry, particularly in regions like the Middle East, where the last-mile delivery market is projected to reach $100 billion by 2025. These robots, designed to operate under harsh weather conditions, aim to reduce reliance on human couriers and improve delivery efficiency.
While Yango has yet to respond to the suspension, the company’s presence in Africa continues to grow. The suspension in Togo marks a temporary halt in its West African expansion, but Yango’s history of regulatory adaptation and market resilience suggests it may take steps to address the concerns raised by the Togolese government.
Yango’s future operations in Togo now hinge on its ability to resolve regulatory challenges and ensure compliance with local laws. For now, the suspension raises questions about the ride-hailing landscape in Togo and how emerging platforms navigate regulatory frameworks across Africa.
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