The World Bank identifies Africa as a hotspot for mobile and smartphone-based payments and highlights their potential to improve public transport and support more inclusive cities. Yet public transport in many African markets remains heavily dependent on cash. The opportunity is therefore not simply to replace cash with another payment method, but to connect transport to the mobile-led financial ecosystems that millions of commuters already use every day.

Cities have invested heavily in modernising public transport over the past decade. Contactless payments, mobile ticketing, passenger information systems, parking, tolling, and mobility services have all evolved rapidly. Yet in many cases, these services continue to operate through separate platforms, creating disconnected commuter experiences and adding complexity for transport authorities and service providers.

For decades, public transport operations have been planned around fixed timetables, historical demand patterns, and periodic service reviews. This approach remains essential for scheduling routes, allocating vehicles, and managing resources. The challenge is that demand no longer behaves as predictably as it once did.