E-hailing platform Wanatu, which is growing fast in Pretoria and Centurion, is looking to expand into more areas in Gauteng and to centres across South Africa on the back of its new tech stack, which harnesses the Google Maps Platform Mobility Services suite.

Wanatu, launched in 2024 to offer a safer alternative to public transport, now employs 131 drivers and completes up to 12 000 trips a month. Thanks to its new technology, the company is actively moving to grow.

Built on Google Maps Mobility Services

The new tech stack, implemented in July this year by software development company Project Troy, is built using the Google Maps Mobility Services toolkit from 28East, a Digicloud Africa partner and a specialised, authorised Google Maps partner in Africa.

Marius van der Merwe, founder and MD of 28East, explains that Google Maps Mobility Services is a specialised development toolkit and backend infrastructure built for on-demand rideshare, scheduled transportation and last-mile logistics applications. The implementation positions Wanatu to grow and expand its business model, he says.

“Google has designed the suite for very specific use cases, with components like a fleet engine, driver SDK and consumer SDK. It is a private programme only available through partners, offering the building blocks companies like Wanatu need,” he says.

Google has designed the suite for very specific use cases, with components like a fleet engine, driver SDK and consumer SDK.
Marius van der Merwe

Gustav Grotius, co-founder and systems and logistics manager at Wanatu, says: “Our previous navigation system was not meeting our needs. We had identified a massive need for safe and reliable transport throughout the entire country, but our tech stack was holding us back from expansion.”

Wanatu needed to eliminate navigation blind spots, inaccurate estimated times of arrival (ETAs) and dispatch friction caused by unreliable routing across Gauteng. It also required real-time driver tracking, reliable location updates during signal drops and full operational visibility.

Kent Klein, MD of Project Troy, and Johan Bloem, its CTO, explain that the Wanatu tech stack was rebuilt to deliver more advanced functionality for drivers, riders and Wanatu management.

Bloem says: “Previously the tech stack was in a .NET Azure type of stack with Microsoft SQL databases and custom navigation software.”

Klein says: “They needed a different stack with an entirely different look and feel, which took the guesswork out of the mobility elements. Wanatu also needed precise data to be able to improve routing and resource utilisation. For instance, an incorrectly mapped route means that the customer ultimately loses revenue because if a flat rate has been communicated and the driver ends up taking the longer route, it’s just not good business.”

The new solution includes the Google Maps Platform Mobility and Fleet Engine, delivering advanced and accurate navigation, up-to-date street names and real-time traffic information. The new system has eliminated navigation blind spots through real-time driver tracking and live maps. It has also significantly improved ETAs, optimised dispatch and routing precision, and enabled precise data-driven planning.

Grotius says: “With our new tech stack and Google Maps Mobility Services, we are now confidently exploring expansion in Gauteng, and we are in talks with authorities in other centres across South Africa. We are also considering adding parcel services to our portfolio.”

Refreshing staleness detection

A key challenge to overcome was “staleness”, when the previous system lost visibility into which drivers were available in which areas.

Bloem says: “To enable staleness detection, we have a live dashboard of all the drivers, their current location and when last that location was updated. If staleness is detected, the control room can call the driver to confirm their location. This allows Wanatu to allocate the closest driver to the ride request, which improves both customer experience and driver experience.”

Van der Merwe notes that another advantage of Google Mobility Services is its billing model. “Google has packaged this last-mile product with a unique commercial model. The normal Google Maps APIs and costing work on input APIs, meaning every time you call an API, there’s a cost associated with it. It’s a pay-as-you-go service. But a company like Wanatu charges customers a flat rate or an agreed rate. So instead of paying for all the input APIs, Google bills for each successful trip.”

Grotius says this model was important for Wanatu. “This was a major concern from the beginning because typically in the environment that we are operating in, being a new player in the industry, people are curious to see what the app looks like and how it works. So there are a lot of consumers who experiment without booking a trip, and in the past we had to pay for that. With the Google Mobility suite, that’s not the case anymore.”

Positioned for growth

“With our new systems, we are better positioned to identify additional revenue opportunities, detect the causes of lost revenue, improve the fleet positioning and improve our service standards. Customer satisfaction has also increased. We’ve had a lot of amazing positive feedback on the upgraded platforms, with clients saying it is easier to use, the ETAs are more accurate and drivers are closer. This is because we now have the insights we need to put drivers at the correct places at the correct times, and even anticipate demand,” Grotius says.

“Our drivers experience a lot more efficiency in their everyday lives. They are also happy that the ETAs are correct because that in turn enables them to complete more trips and get more tips and incentives.”

He emphasises: “Google Maps is a giant in the industry. It’s always introducing new capabilities, features and plug-in components. We haven’t even explored the entire Google Maps Mobility Services and all the plug-in components that we can use. But because we have already integrated the Mobility Suite, we will be able to innovate and do rapid development, staying on the front line as Google continues pushing the boundaries.”