Respo: The South African Startup Revolutionizing Emergency Services for Low-Income Communities
Respo is a South African startup that designs innovative, efficient, and cost-effective solutions to provide emergency services, such as ambulances, roadside assistance, and security services, to low-income communities.
Founded in 2018 by Blessing Nzuza, Respo was born out of a personal experience. Nzuza witnessed a stabbing incident on Durban's beach, where access to medical care was challenging. This incident led him to develop the Respo Ambulance app, which enables users to easily access ambulance services from their smartphones.
Respo has established a partnership with Philamed Ambulances in the KwaZulu-Natal region, granting access to a fleet of 150 private ambulances and offering comprehensive emergency medical services to over 1.5 million citizens in the region. The startup has deliberately targeted funeral homes, reselling its ambulance services to their policyholders.
Thanks to its Respo System (RAS), the startup digitizes contract management, payments, and document organization for funeral homes. Adoption has been rapid, with 12 clients acquired, each averaging 2,300 members, under 24-month contracts. Respo thus reaches approximately 23,000 contract members and over 100,000 extended family members.
