South African startup Eazy Way Rides is empowering marginalised communities and underserved areas by providing essential training and support for individuals aspiring to enter the delivery and logistics industry.
Founded in 2021 by Samson Phiri, Eazy Way Rides identifies potential candidates, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, and assists them in obtaining their K53 learner’s license for motorbikes.
“Once they’ve acquired this, we provide hands-on practical training to prepare them for motorbike operations,” Phiri told Disrupt Africa.
“The entire process usually takes about a month. After training, we connect them with opportunities in the gig economy, e-commerce, and delivery sectors.”
So far, Eazy Way Rides has trained over 1,500 drivers in key metros such as Cape Town and Durban, and the company has also introduced a new matching system that will streamline the training process and provide drivers with various benefits.
“This system will automatically match drivers with business opportunities and allow them to start their own small businesses by listing their vehicles for rental purposes. We are currently seeking funding to support this innovative solution, which will be backed by AI,” Phiri said.
There is an undeniable shortage of qualified delivery drivers in South Africa. Many drivers in the market are self-taught, often relying on friends to train them.
“Unfortunately, this informal training leads to a lack of proper skills, contributing to the high rate of accidents,” said Phiri.
“Our system addresses this issue by providing structured, professional training to young candidates. Additionally, once trained, drivers often struggle to find legitimate platforms to list themselves for work. Our system solves this by not only training drivers but also offering them access to a platform where they can be matched with delivery opportunities.”
Currently self-funded, Eazy Way Rides has so far had its training initiatives supported by the Transport Education Training Authority (TETA), which funded two major training programmes over the last three years.
“We recently signed a deal to introduce 300 hydrogen-powered motorbikes in Q1 2025. Additionally, we have a strong partnership with the City of Cape Town and the Department of Local Government. We have built a database of over 5,000 drivers and have successfully placed 350 of them into various delivery roles through partnerships with organisations like SA Youth,” said Phiri.
“Another exciting development is a new agreement with a Romanian company to identify drivers interested in immigrating for work opportunities abroad.”
He said uptake so far has been promising, with significant interest from companies looking to use the startup’s services.
“We’ve successfully onboarded a substantial number of drivers and partnered with major aggregators like Uber and Uber Eats,” Phiri said.
“Our immediate focus is on covering additional metros across South Africa to ensure we have a solid foundation locally. In terms of expansion, we are actively exploring opportunities in Kenya and Nigeria. Once we’ve solidified our presence in South Africa, we plan to expand into these African markets, where there is a strong demand for efficient delivery and logistics solutions.”
