GoMetro and iROKING partner to bring free music to SA commuters

Man, mobi.lity is on a roll. First, the startup’s GoMetro service got picked up as the official traveller information system of commuter rail agency, Metrorail, and later became one of the four finalists selected for IBM’s SmartCamp programme. Today, the service announced its rollout in Gauteng and a partnership with iROKO Partners, the world’s largest online distributor of African music & movies. Not bad for a service launched in September this year.

The GoMetro mobile site provides commuters with real-time train schedules, timetable deviations, schedule changes and platform changes. In addition to this, as of 31 October 2012, GoMetro mobile users will be able to listen to, watch, download and share music via iROKING’s exclusive mobile site. Downloads on iROKING are free for anyone who visits the mobile site.

Adi Nduka-Agwu, iROKO Partners’ Head of Business Development for Africa says: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with GoMetro on this new project – it symbolises how we want to work with tech and entertainment companies across Africa. In addition to GoMetro users being able to keep on top of their travel plans on the mobile site, they will also have the ultimate soundtrack for their journey, courtesy of iROKING – whether people want some chill out tunes, or something to get them pumped up for the day, we have it”.

Users will also be able to share any of their favourite iROKING tracks via email, Twitter and Facebook. iROKING features internationally celebrated home-grown talent such as 2Face, PSquare, Lynxx, Eva, Bez, Timaya and more. The year-long partnership should enhance the daily commute for over 3 million daily South African railway users.

Justin Coetzee of GoMetro adds “We have always positioned GoMetro as a mobile platform to improve the commuter experience – and it is validating to see that pan out. GoMetro is a transit community on your phone, and to have been able to conclude a deal of this nature right after our inception shows incredible traction and an appetite for a mobile transit platform. It is fitting to have iROKING on our platform as the first music offering, as they are true African tech innovators. Public Transport just got cooler with GoMetro and iROKING.”

iROKING is West Africa’s number one music distribution platform, with over 35,0000 tunes from 400 artists. The company also manages the YouTube channels of over 80 artists, delivering 15 million video views on average a month and over 130,000,000 views across its pages.