Empowering Hoja Taxis: From Safe Rides to Smart Tracking

Hoja Taxis is a company established in Kinshasa, DRC, to address a critical problem: the alarming rate of kidnappings occurring in the city, particularly through unsafe taxi rides. Kinshasa residents, including children and professionals, often rely on taxis for transportation, but these rides can be risky. Hoja Taxis was created to ensure the safety of passengers by providing secure, trackable rides, ensuring people are picked up and dropped off at the right locations without worry. The service quickly gained popularity for its reliability and the security it provided.

However, Hoja Taxis faced a significant challenge: it relied heavily on government support and payments. The government often provided subsidies to ensure the service remained accessible to the population, but this came with drawbacks. Delays in payments from the government caused cash flow issues, which jeopardized the company’s ability to operate smoothly.

To reduce this dependency and ensure financial sustainability, I proposed the development of Hoja GPS, an old project of the business designed to help individuals and companies with large vehicle fleets. Hoja GPS provides real-time tracking for vehicles during trips, enabling businesses and families to monitor their drivers and ensure safe and efficient travel.

This new service diversified Hoja Taxis’ revenue streams, helping it become less reliant on government payments. By offering Hoja GPS to logistics companies, delivery services, and even private families, Hoja Taxis tapped into a broader market, generating revenue from private clients and businesses. This shift not only brought financial stability but also positioned Hoja as a leader in vehicle tracking and fleet management in Kinshasa, making the company more resilient to the delays and uncertainties of government support.

Hoja GPS thus allowed the company to remain true to its mission of safety and security, while evolving into a more versatile, self-sustaining enterprise.