Twende

What Twende does

Twende Technologies Ltd is a Tanzanian mobile-first ride-hailing and delivery platform headquartered in Dar es Salaam, operating under Twende Technologies Ltd with regulatory licensing from LATRA. The platform runs three dedicated mobile applications — Twende Abiria for riders, Twende Dereva for drivers, and Twende Venda for merchants — distributed through Google Play and the Apple App Store, with WhatsApp ordering as a low-friction channel. Underlying technology is built on Firebase for authentication and push, Google Maps Platform for routing and geocoding, and TwendeWallet for payments across M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money, Halopesa, and cash. The company monetizes through ride transaction commissions, merchant marketplace commissions via Twende Venda, and per-ride insurance premiums through Twendebima, with stated base fares from TSh 1,200 (e-bike) to TSh 3,000 (car).

Beyond core ride-hailing, Twende has built adjacent product lines that deepen platform economics. Twendebima offers pay-per-ride micro-insurance for bodaboda and bajaji riders, covering personal accident, hospital cash benefits, and goods in transit, with claims processed within 24 hours and the product backed by UNDP's Insurance and Risk Finance Facility and underwritten by MUA Insurance. The Green Mobility program provides revenue-based e-bike financing, allowing drivers to acquire electric bikes through deductions from daily ride earnings at no upfront cost, with stated 70% fuel savings versus traditional motorcycles. The company serves individual urban commuters in Dar es Salaam, independent drivers operating bodaboda, bajaji, and car vehicles, and small merchants on Twende Venda, with publicly stated geographic expansion plans to Dodoma, Arusha, and Mwanza. Strategic partners include COSTECH, DTBI, CRDB Bank, Mixx by YAS, UNDP, Tanga Yetu, and MUA Insurance.

Name

Twende

Legal name

Twende Technologies Ltd

Website

https://twende.co.tz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Twende Technologies Ltd is a Tanzanian mobile ride-hailing and delivery platform serving urban riders, independent drivers, and small merchants in Dar es Salaam across bodaboda, car, bajaji, e-bike, and parcel services. It monetizes via ride commissions, merchant fees, and per-ride micro-insurance premiums, with mobile money payments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ride-Hailing and Urban Mobility

NAICS

Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand Ride-Hailing Aggregators (Multi-Sided TNC Marketplaces) (TLAFAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ride-Hailing with Integrated Micromobility (Bikes/Scooters in App) (THADADAK), Two-Wheeler Ride-Hailing (Moto-Taxis) (THADADAG)

Keywords

• Ride-hailing platform
• Bodaboda motorcycle taxi
• Parcel delivery service
• Mobile money payments
• Urban mobility Tanzania

Headquarters

HQ city

Dar es Salaam

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ride Commission/Fare Revenue: Platform charges transaction fees on rides booked through the app. Fares calculated based on distance, time, and ride type. Payment collected via TwendeWallet (M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money) or cash.
2. Vendor Commission (Twende Venda): Commission from merchants selling products and services through Twende Venda platform. Vendors list shops, food, or services and receive orders with mobile money payouts.
3. Per-Ride Insurance Premium: Small insurance fee automatically charged per ride through Twendebima micro-insurance product. Per-ride premiums fund personal accident cover, hospital cash benefits, and goods in transit coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Twende operates a mobile-first ride-hailing and delivery platform in Tanzania, connecting individual riders with bodaboda (motorcycle), car, bajaji (three-wheeler), and e-bike drivers via a passenger app. The platform also enables same-day parcel delivery with real-time tracking, supports mobile money payments (M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money), offers per-ride micro-insurance (Twendebima), and runs a revenue-based e-bike financing program (Green Mobility).

Product overview

Twende is a multi-app ride-hailing and delivery platform operating across Tanzania, consisting of three distinct consumer-facing applications connected through a shared backend. Twende Abiria serves as the core passenger app for booking bodaboda (motorcycle), car, bajaji (tuk-tuk), and e-bike rides plus parcel delivery. Twende Dereva is the driver companion app enabling independent contractors to accept rides and receive weekly mobile-money payouts. Twende Venda is a merchant platform for restaurants, shops, and other vendors to list products and process delivery orders. The ecosystem is augmented by Twendebima micro-insurance, the Green Mobility e-bike financing program, and the TwendeWallet payment system, all integrated to serve riders, drivers, and vendors across Dar es Salaam and expanding to other Tanzanian cities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Twende: Primary rider/passenger app for booking bodaboda, car, bajaji, and e-bike rides; also handles parcel delivery.
• Twende Dereva
• Twende Venda
• Twendebima
• Green Mobility
• TwendeWallet

Products and services

• Twende (Abiria) Rider App Passenger-facing mobile app that lets individual riders in Dar es Salaam book bodaboda, car, bajaji, and e-bike rides and send parcels across the city with real-time tracking. Available on Google Play and Apple App Store.
• Twende Dereva Driver App Driver-facing mobile app enabling independent bodaboda, bajaji, and car drivers in Tanzania to accept ride and delivery requests, manage earnings, and receive weekly mobile money payouts.
• Twende Venda Merchant Platform Marketplace app that lets local merchants (restaurants, shops, pharmacies, service providers) list products and services, receive orders via geolocation-based discovery, and accept mobile money payouts.
• Twendebima Micro-Insurance Usage-based micro-insurance product that charges a small premium per ride to provide personal accident cover, hospital cash benefits, and goods-in-transit protection to bodaboda and bajaji riders.
• Green Mobility E-Bike Financing Program Asset financing program that allows riders to own an electric bike through daily earnings deductions rather than bank loans or collateral, claiming 70% fuel savings and zero emissions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average pickup time under 5 minutes for bodaboda rides
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• COSTECH (National Commission for Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwende's headquarters is located in the COSTECH Building. COSTECH is Tanzania's government body overseeing science and technology innovation, providing strategic alignment with national tech priorities.
• LATRA (Land Transport Regulatory Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwende is licensed and regulated by LATRA. All drivers must be registered with LATRA and hold valid permits. This regulatory partnership is essential for legal operation as a ride-hailing platform.
• DTBI (Dar es Salaam Tech Business Incubator)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology business incubator supporting Tanzanian tech startups. Partnership supports startup ecosystem development.
• UNDP (United Nations Development Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP supports Twendebima micro-insurance under the Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF). This partnership provides credibility and backing for the rider insurance product.
• MUA InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance provider backing Twendebima micro-insurance product. Provides insurance infrastructure for per-ride coverage including personal accident, hospital cash benefits, and goods in transit.
• Tanga YetuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organization contributing to Tanzania's future development. Nature of partnership appears community-focused.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Sendy: Kenya-based last-mile delivery and logistics platform. Comparable delivery and merchant ecosystem capabilities overlapping with Twende Venda's parcel and merchant services.
• M-Kopa: East African pay-as-you-go asset financing provider, including for motorcycles and e-mobility. Comparable in revenue-based financing architecture relevant to Twende's Green Mobility e-bike program.
• Little: Kenya-based ride-hailing platform with mobile money integration and growing East African presence. Comparable business model and overlapping regional expansion trajectory into Tanzania-adjacent markets.

Direct peers

• SafeBoda: Uganda-based motorcycle ride-hailing and delivery platform with the same bodaboda-led model, mobile money integration, and regulatory compliance approach. Most directly comparable peer given shared East African motorcycle-taxi focus.
• InDrive: Global ride-hailing platform with a strong emerging-market footprint, including East Africa. Competes on driver and rider acquisition in similar price-sensitive urban markets.
• MAX (Metro Africa Xpress): Nigeria-based motorcycle ride-hailing and delivery platform serving West African markets. Closely comparable in modal mix (motorcycle-led) and emerging market focus, though operating in a different geography.

Regional players

• Gokada: Nigeria-focused motorcycle mobility and delivery platform. Comparable in modal choice and target rider persona, though geographically focused on Lagos and now pivoted to delivery.
• Hala: Egypt-based ride-hailing platform operating across North Africa with similar mobile payment integration. Comparable multi-modal positioning though focused on car rides rather than motorcycle taxis.

Broad incumbents

• Uber: Global ride-hailing incumbent with growing presence across Africa. Competes for the same urban rider base in markets where it operates, with substantially greater capital and brand recognition.
• Bolt: European-headquartered global ride-hailing platform operating in multiple African cities. Targets similar rider and driver segments with cashless payments and is a key competitive threat to Twende in any market it enters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/twendetech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Twende