Algiers-based startup temtem One, in a further expansion of its service offerings, now allows Algerians – local or abroad – to order a range of goods or services for their relatives and have them delivered to their front door in the North African country.
The new feature adds to a number of services offered by temtem One via the flagship Super App that was launched last October and takes the company closer to its goal of building the digital platform into a one-stop-shop for the needs of its local users.
Founded in 2017 as a ride-hailing startup and launched a year later, temtem One has since expanded its portfolio to include a range of home maintenance services.
The expansion drive also saw the startup launch its super app at the beginning of Q4 2020 having raised a $4-million Series A round from Luxembourg-based Tell Venture Automotive and other unnamed investors a year earlier.
The newly launched super app will assist consumers, allowing them access services faster and conveniently via a “unified login system” that is supported by an “integrated powered system,” the company said at the time.
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With it, users services from catering to shopping, delivery of various goods, and transport and are able to pay for these services via the app and transfer credit to other users.
Its latest feature – temtem diaspora – can be accessed by entering the delivery address and phone number of relatives while payment can be done via card inclusive of VISA, MasterCard, or American Express.
Delivery is available to 21 regions in Algeria with the express mode being delivered in two hours or a period of waiting time of one to five days, depending on the location.
Necessary Support Amid Covid
CEO Salim Bouazzouni, as quoted in a report, explained that the startup designs products and services that “meet local needs with one goal: improving people’s lives” as well as “giving easy access to services that matter, in an innovative way with services that do not exist elsewhere like temtem Diaspora.”
In addition to improving the lives of locals, the creation of temtem Diaspora is sure to contribute to the nation’s foreign reserves – as payments made in forex are sent to the accounts of temtem in dinars – while also helping to create employment opportunities in Algeria.
“It’s the first time that an Algerian company provides such services to our diaspora, increasing at the same time the foreign currency incomes,” said Yacine Oualid, minister delegate to the Prime Minister for the knowledge economy and startups. “This only proves that starting today, Algeria can rely on the innovations of its startups to diversify the economy and act as a vector of financial inclusion.”
Beyond that, temtem One’s latest feature offers necessary support amid the novel coronavirus pandemic and strict movement restrictions imposed to curb its spread, which has rendered most locals unable to travel.
The global health crisis has amplified the need for digital services for individuals, merchants, and corporations with many companies forced to adapt quickly to meet the changing needs of consumers.
Delivery, particularly for food and groceries, and digital services have seen a surge in sales amid the pandemic as consumers across the world opt to stay in with a takeaway in line with social distancing protocols to avoid the coronavirus outbreak.
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A report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) notes that there has been a shift from brick-and-mortar retail to e-commerce during Covid, significant across countries and the European Union.
The share of e-commerce in total retail spiked to 16.1% between the first and second quarter of 2020 in the United States, rose to 31.3% in the same period in the United Kingdom and reached 24.6% between January and August 2020 in China.
“While official statistics are not available for most other countries, estimates suggest that online orders were up across several regions during the first half of 2020, including Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific,” OECD said.
E-commerce adoption remains relatively low in Algeria compared to regional neighbours Egypt and Morocco but has seen an uptick in demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown measures to contain the spread of the virus.
The sector is however primed to witness rapid growth in the country, driven by “favourable demographics, rising disposable incomes, and a high urbanisation rate,” leading research firm Fitch Solutions said in a report. Those factors make it “relatively easy for e-commerce companies and logistics firms to reach a large share of Algerian consumers.”
