Togo's transport ministry has suspended Yango's operations due to security concerns and unauthorized launch. The Russian ride-hailing app, part of Yandex, operates in over 20 countries and has ambitions for significant growth in Africa and the Middle East. Yango has not yet responded to the suspension.

The transport ministry of Togo has decided to suspend the operations of the ride-hailing app Yango in the country due to security concerns, just months after the service commenced. Yango is a product of the Russian technology company Yandex.

In an official statement issued by the ministry, the decision to halt Yango's activities was based on worries regarding passenger safety, legal order, and adherence to proper procedures. The statement further indicated that Yango began its operations in Togo in June without the necessary authorization, violating established legal protocols in the country.

Consequently, the ministry declared, “The activities of the operator YANGO are therefore suspended across the entire national territory.”

Yango operates its ride-hailing services in over 20 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, utilizing its super-app. The company’s business model emphasizes empowering entrepreneurs and promoting the growth of local partners throughout the continent, aiming for a projected growth rate of 30 percent in 2024.

In Africa, Yango launched its ride-hailing services in the Ivory Coast in 2018 and has since expanded its presence to several other countries, including Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, the Republic of Congo, Senegal, Zambia, and Ethiopia.

In addition to ride-hailing services, the Russian tech company boasts a diverse range of global businesses. These encompass offerings such as Maps, Navigator, Yango devices (Yasmina), media services (Play), cloud storage (Photo), fintech (Pay), educational services, on-demand item delivery, food delivery, and e-commerce, among others.

For instance, under the leadership of Nikita Gavrilov, the Regional Head of Autonomous Delivery Solutions, Yango is spearheading innovative solutions aimed at transforming the delivery process in the Middle East.

The last-mile delivery market in this region is projected to reach $100 billion by 2025, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 percent from 2020. This growth is fueled by an increasing demand for effective and timely delivery services.

To address this demand, Yango’s autonomous delivery robots are designed to minimize delivery times and lessen the dependency on human couriers. These robots are engineered to function efficiently under extreme weather conditions, which is particularly advantageous in a region characterized by high temperatures.

Currently, over a million drivers and delivery service providers utilize the Yango platform worldwide. The company has recently reported that the number of rides completed on its platform has more than doubled year-over-year in 2023, with over a quarter of a billion journeys recorded in Africa since the company’s inception.

As of now, Yango has not issued a response to the suspension announcement.