Cross-Cultural User Research: Low Carbon Mobility Services in South Africa
South Africa is a beautiful country, and when it comes to transport and travel applications, having an in-depth understanding of the transport industry, travel behaviour and local contexts is key before entering the market.
A mobility startup led a project funded by the Department for International Development to explore through how a shared mobility solution would work in South Africa.
We conducted secondary, desk research that explored inclusivity, accessibility, gender, political, social and environmental influences on public transport, informal transport and non-motorised transport options.
Both the desk and primary research showed some interesting findings on the informal and formal travel systems in South Africa and travel behaviour. This project was funded by the Department for International Development to explore low-carbon transport. We looked at travel behaviour to explore business models that would work in the existing infrastructure, which would provide safe, convenient and cost-effective shared mobility solutions.
“We helped us write this application for DfID. One of the key aims of the project was to conduct a discovery phase through secondary and primary research.
We were part of the team to deliver the research alongside other providers in South Africa. The research was detailed and in-depth and created a solid base of understanding the market that we want to enter.”
— Founder, Mobility Startup