Smarter Mobility for Everyday Transit.
Buses, minibuses, taxis and shared rides across Addis Ababa, in one app. See when your ride will arrive, search in Amharic or English, and pay with telebirr.
Run a company fleet or a transport network? SmartLink for business Operator platform
Why SmartLink
Five million people move through Addis Ababa every day, and most of them wait at the roadside without knowing when their ride will come. SmartLink connects passengers, vehicles and operators with live data, so crossing the city stops being a guess.
5 M+
people move through Addis Ababa every day
Up to 3 hrs
spent in transit by some commuters each day
2 M+
households on the city’s edge without formal transit access
Estimates from SmartLink field research in Addis Ababa, 2025.
The platform.
SmartLink is transport technology built for Ethiopia and Africa: apps for riders and drivers, and one console for transport operators and companies.
When a vehicle moves, everyone who depends on it sees it at the same moment: the rider waiting, the driver and the team running the fleet.
-
Riders
Compare every way to get there, watch your ride arrive and pay without cash.
Explore the rider app -
Drivers
See where riders are gathering, take matched trips and keep 90% of every fare.
Drive with SmartLink -
Operators
Watch the whole fleet live and send vehicles where they’re needed before the rush.
See the operator console -
Businesses
Run staff shuttles and company fleets on the same platform, and earn from idle cars.
SmartLink for business
One app for getting around Addis Ababa. Compare your options, watch your ride come to you and pay from your phone.
Riders
-
Every option, ranked
Buses, minibuses, taxis and shared rides appear side by side. The fastest option comes first and the cheapest is always marked, so choosing takes a glance.
-
Arrival times you can trust
SmartLink vehicles report their position every 30 seconds and your arrival time updates on its own. Wait somewhere comfortable instead of at the roadside.
-
Search in Amharic or English
Type a terminal, stop or place the way you would say it. Half-typed words still find the right result, and your saved places work without a connection.
-
Share the ride with SmartGo
When someone nearby is heading your way, SmartGo offers a shared ride in a private car and shows what you’ll pay, and what you’ll save, before you accept.
-
Pay with telebirr
Pay from your phone. The money is held until you arrive, shared fares are split for you, and your receipt comes by SMS.
SmartGo.
SmartGo is SmartLink’s shared ride service. You travel in a private car with riders heading your way, so a comfortable ride costs far less.
Every rider pays less than riding alone, and every driver carries more than one fare. Both sides come out ahead.
Travel luxuriously for less.
Up to 75 %
cheaper than private ride-hailing. Riders save between 25 and 75% on a shared trip.
Drivers earn more.
Up to 50 %
more than with private ride-hailing. Drivers earn between 25 and 50% more on shared trips.
-
01
Request
Choose where you’re going.
-
02
Match
Riders bound for the same area are paired within three minutes.
-
03
Ride
One driver collects everyone, and the fare splits automatically.
Compared with private ride-hailing fares and driver earnings in Addis Ababa. Savings and earnings depend on the trip.
Cashless fares.
Every SmartLink fare is paid with telebirr, so riders don’t need a bank account or exact change.
Payment is held until the trip ends. Then the driver is paid straight away and everyone gets a receipt.
-
01
Pay
Confirm the trip and pay your share in telebirr.
-
02
Split
On a shared ride, each rider pays only their part.
-
03
Hold
The payment waits until the trip is complete.
-
04
Payout
The driver receives 90% of the fare at once.
-
05
Receipt
Rider and driver both get a receipt, in the app and by SMS.
A live demand map shows drivers where riders are gathering, and where they soon will be, so less of the day is spent driving empty.
Drivers
90 %
of every fare goes to the driver, paid as soon as the trip ends.
- Go online with one tap
- Pickups ordered to save distance
- Earnings by day and by week
- Instant payouts to telebirr
The operator console sees busy periods coming half an hour ahead, so vehicles are in position before the queues form.
Operators
Swipe to explore the console
From forecast to arrival.
For transport authorities and fleet operators, SmartLink replaces phone calls with one live view of the network. Here is what happens before a busy evening at Megenagna.
- −30 min
Forecast
The demand model expects three times the usual number of riders around Megenagna.
- −25 min
Alert
The console highlights the area and the four vehicles best placed to help.
- −20 min
Dispatch
One click sends those drivers their new positions.
- −10 min
Repositioning
Drivers head over while the heatmap updates live.
- Peak
Arrival
When the crowd arrives, the vehicles are already there.
For companies that run many vehicles: staff shuttles, live fleet tracking and a way to earn from idle cars, on the same platform.
Business
Staff shuttles, company cars and drivers on one platform.
Built for companies that run many vehicles, from banks and factories to NGOs and hospitals.
-
Staff trips
7 hours
-
SmartGo trips
9 hours
-
Parked
8 hours
- 01
Staff transport
Shuttle routes planned around where your people live, with live arrivals and seat booking in the app.
- 02
Fleet management
Every company vehicle and driver on one live console, with assignments and dispatch.
- 03
Inspections and incidents
Pre-trip checks and incident reports from the driver app, reviewed by your managers.
- 04
Earn from idle vehicles
Put cars on SmartGo between company runs and earn from hours they would spend parked.
The network.
Every bus and light-rail route in Addis Ababa, with every stop along the way, mapped and connected.
This map is the base for the arrival times and journey planning in the app.
440
bus routes
2
light-rail lines
2,259
stops mapped
9,027
places named in Amharic and English
Darash Address.
Most places in Ethiopia don’t have a street address, so people give directions by landmark.
Darash will give every location a short code in Ethiopic script that’s easy to say over the phone and easy to share.
Coming soon
An address for every place in Ethiopia.
- 01
Pickups
Tell a driver exactly where you are, even on a street with no name.
- 02
Deliveries
Share one short code instead of long directions over the phone.
- 03
Emergencies
Help responders find the right door.
Move through Addis smarter.
One app for riders and drivers, on Android and iPhone.
Scan with your phone camera