About the company
UnkaGo launched in late 2025 in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The platform provides ride-hailing and courier services for both individual riders and corporate clients. The specific services include:
- Economy rides
- Airport transfers
- Courier delivery via motorbikes and bicycles
- Pickup truck transport services
UnkaGo is a safe and reliable local mobility platform with transparent pricing and safety features tailored to local market needs.
A key strength of the company is its structured team, which includes a CEO, operations manager, and marketing team responsible for growth and partnerships.
A little about the Zambian market
The ride-hailing market in Zambia is still developing. While international mobility platforms operate in the country, the market is less saturated than in larger African markets such as Nigeria or Kenya.
At the same time, Zambia’s steady economic growth and increasing tourism are driving demand for reliable transportation. There’s growing demand for urban commuters, airport travelers, and delivery services. This creates an opportunity for local platforms like UnkaGo.
Challenge
UnkaGo needed to build both the driver and passenger bases from scratch and balance driver supply with passenger demand. Drivers would only join a platform if there are enough ride requests, while passengers expect fast ride availability. Without careful planning, the gap between the two sides can slow down adoption and harm early user experience.
For UnkaGo, the challenge was to:
- Build a driver base from zero
- Attract first riders quickly
- Maintain the right balance between both sides of the marketplace
Solution
Onde provided UnkaGo with both the technology platform and marketing services. Our in-house digital marketing agency helps partners effectively grow both their driver and customer bases.
Onde’s marketing specialists worked closely with the UnkaGo team to develop a launch plan focused on:
- building an initial driver supply
- creating strong app visibility
- accelerating early customer acquisition
The strategy combined driver-focused marketing campaigns with App Store Optimization (ASO) and paid user acquisition to build both sides of the marketplace simultaneously.
Scope of services by Onde marketing agency
Onde’s digital marketing team delivered a comprehensive growth package including:
- Six months of premium App Store Optimization (ASO)
- Two months of driver acquisition campaigns
- Two months of rider acquisition campaigns
- Paid advertising on Google Ads and Facebook Ads
The campaign included:
- creative banners and videos
- ad copywriting
- ASO keyword research
- custom App Store product pages aligned with ad creatives
- long-term growth strategy
Driver acquisition campaign
The UnkaGo team analyzed driver pain points and developed a compelling driver value proposition: the lowest commission in the market, a flexible subscription plan, and bonuses from ZedMobile — a free SIM card and one month of internet for completing 50 rides per week.
All the strategic benefits were highlighted in the ad materials:
Results of driver acquisition campaign:
The campaign generated strong early traction and provided enough drivers to begin customer acquisition confidently.
Customer acquisition campaign
The best way to acquire customers is the combination of ASO and PPC campaigns.
App Store Optimization (ASO)
The ASO campaign had four steps:
- Personalisation via Custom Product Pages (CPP)
- Engaging an inactive audience
- Visual triggers and in-app events
- Lessons and conclusions
Step 1:
Instead of directing all users to a single page, the ASO team created unique versions for different UnkaGO adverts.
How it worked: Users saw an offer (for example, ‘A perfect day to try a new taxi app’) and were taken to a page with the same message.
Result: The conversion rate (CVR) on the custom pages jumped to 15%, which is three times higher than the standard page’s figures.
Step 2:
The team used custom listings on Google Play to retarget users who hadn’t opened the app for more than 28 days.
How it worked: We added a promo code for a 20% discount directly to the graphic.
Result: Fantastic conversion rate for return visits — 78% (18% higher than the main page).
Default screenshots
Screenshots for inactive users
Step 3:
The team introduced in-app events, which created a ‘billboard effect’. Although users rarely clicked on the event card itself, its mere presence in search results boosted trust and led to a surge in organic downloads.
Step 4:
Not all hypotheses were equally effective: for example, the seasonal update of the schedule for the New Year in Zambia did not yield the expected growth. Based on the results, the UnkaGo team got recommendations for further ASO practices.
Paid customer acquisition
The Onde marketing team highlighted UnkaGo benefits across all ad materials on Facebook Ads and Google Ads.
- Predictability and safety
- Welcome perks from ZedMobile: 1 GB of data for the first ride and 50 free minutes after completing 4 rides within a week
- Limited promo codes to first-time riders
Ad performance highlights:
- Google Ads: 4× higher CTR than average; cost-effective installs; strong click-to-install conversions.
- Facebook Ads: high engagement
Both platforms effectively attracted users and generated interest in UnkaGo.
Result of customer acquisition campaign
X10 in unique customers (daily average, before and during the campaign + ASO)
X6 in finished orders (daily average, before and during the campaign + ASO)
X11 in total booking value (cost of trips), daily average, before and during the campaign + ASO
Key factors of success:
- A clear strategic focus on balancing drivers and customers
- Clear benefits addressing market pain points
- A well-structured, capable team
- Close collaboration with Onde marketing specialists on ASO and advertisng
