Zipline in Rwanda: By 2029, Roughly 2 Million Instant Deliveries

Zipline Forms New Partnership with Rwandan Government to Serve Entire Country

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Today, instant logistics and deliveries leader Zipline announced a new partnership with the Government of Rwanda to conduct roughly 2 million instant deliveries and fly over 200 million autonomous kilometers in Rwanda by 2029.

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The new partnership will see Rwanda triple its delivery volume through the addition of new delivery sites nationwide, while also opening Zipline’s service to any agency within the government. This will enable Rwanda to provide innovative and environmentally friendly logistics and delivery, as well as make it the first country in the world to be able to make autonomous instant deliveries to its entire population.

“With this new agreement, we will be incorporating Zipline into many aspects of our national operations from providing a reliable healthcare supply chain, to addressing malnutrition, to creating an unforgettable eco-tourism experience,” said the Rwanda Development Board’s CEO Clare Akamanzi. “Rwanda is an innovation hub and we’re thrilled to be the first country in the world to launch a national drone delivery service.”

Zipline currently delivers 75% of the country’s blood supply outside of Kigali. Zipline’s network has provided over 400 hospitals and clinics with blood, medication and supplies within minutes of ordering, enabling them to treat both everyday medical conditions and emergencies. Using data from Rwandan public hospitals, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found an 88% reduction of in-hospital maternal deaths due to postpartum hemorrhage as a result of Zipline’s logistics and delivery system.

“Instant logistics has saved thousands of lives and is solving some of the world’s most important problems – hunger and malnutrition, road congestion and environmental pollution, and lack of access to healthcare,” said Daniel Marfo, Senior Vice President and Head of Zipline’s Africa business and operations. “We are honored to expand our relationship with our first customer to support additional sectors of government and create more impact together.”

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture used Zipline to deliver over 500,000 doses of animal health vaccines and over 8,000 units of swine semen to vets and farmers. Access to animal husbandry products has increased the fertility rate among farmers using Zipline deliveries by 10 percent, compared to the national average.

Operating on three continents and completing an instant delivery every two minutes, Zipline has delivered over 450,000 packages, over 4.5 million products, and flown over 30 million autonomous miles. The company estimates that each of its flights produces roughly 30 times less CO2 emissions per mile than an average electric vehicle and up to 98% less CO2 emissions than a combustion engine vehicle. Zipline’s instant logistics system is relied upon worldwide to support the medical, health and retail sectors through the delivery of blood, vaccines, COVID supplies, prescriptions, e-commerce and retail items, food and products that support human and animal health.

Read more:

• Drone Delivery in Utah: Zipline and Intermountain Healthcare Launch Program
• Zipline and E-Commerce Platform Jumia Begin Retail Drone Delivery in Africa
• NASA and Zipline Sign Space Act Agreement to Pursue m:N Drone Operations
• Zipline Continues to Expand US Medical Drone Delivery Services: Washington State
• Zipline in North Carolina: Automated, On-Demand Drone Delivery of Medicines and Supplies

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.