Startup Blitz: Zapacab talks taxis and being South Africa’s Uber

Ever wished you could just snap your fingers and a taxi would magically appear in front of you? Well, a South African-based startup is working on a similar solution: one that involves a smartphone app that lets you ‘zap’ a cab.

Founded by Paul Donner and Rupert Sully, Zapacab is a high-tech taxi-hailing service that allows passengers to request a ride and track the cab’s progress towards their location in real time. The startup, which is currently working towards a public launch, is funded by accelerator 88mph and is an African developed mobile service based on a similar model to international apps like Uber and Hailo. Passengers get a ride and drivers get a client in a process aiming to maximise efficiency and reduce the amount of time and fuel wasted by drivers.

We spoke to Sully about the mobile-first startup, how the team plans to make money and the potential threats they may face from competitors.