Hwindi comes to Bulawayo

By Gibson Mhaka

Harare-based taxi-hailing firm Hwindi has opened a new branch in Bulawayo aimed at supporting the growing network of its clients in the country.

Speaking to B-Metro the company’s chief operating officer Patrick Manyangadze said they were excited to open a new office in Bulawayo so that they could better meet the needs of their clients outside Harare.

Hwindi is a state-of-the-art mobile application for hailing traditional registered taxis, parcel delivery and car towing services via a smart device.

The application is tailor-made to locate the nearest taxi or truck for hire within the vicinity.

“We are excited to open our first office outside Harare. These are only the first steps, since we have a vision of growing and expanding our company outside the capital. The new office is also aimed at supporting the growing network of our clients based outside Harare.

The decision also comes in line with the fact that many of our clients are based here and we want to support their transition to the cloud.

“The move will see us partnering with local taxis under one of our categories called cab while private cars with a bit of luxury and registered with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality industry falls under the premier category.

We also have services for parcel delivery where we use bikes and cars,” said Manyangadze.

Explaining how the application works Manyangadze said: “What happens with this App is that it does not involve you calling the cab company asking them to locate a cab near you.

When you need a taxi, you give your location and Hwindi will search for a taxi near you while also revealing how long it will take for that taxi to get to you.

“After every trip, Hwindi sends you an email, so say you want to claim your money from your organisation the emails will be proof that you actually travelled using a taxi. If one does not have a smartphone he or she can go via our control centre or room through this number 0775494634”.

Turning to safety and convenience Manyangadze said the company only takes registered service providers adding that team has a special arrangement with operators which allows cheaper and affordable rates.

“The app only takes registered service providers. App downloading and registration are for free. The Hwindi application has all the details including the driver’s name, picture, the company and type and colour of the car one would have used.

This ensures safety of the users as the provider and vehicle details will be known,” said Manyangadze. B-Metro.