Changan Automobile and UAE-based Yango Group are joining forces to reshape how people move across Africa and the Middle East. Their new partnership will see Yango Motors become Changan’s official distributor, beginning in Côte d’Ivoire and expanding into more African markets. The goal is simple but ambitious: bring smarter, cleaner, and more reliable vehicles to the fast-growing ride-hailing sector.
At the signing ceremony in Dubai, senior executives from both sides underlined the scale of the opportunity. “This partnership strengthens our commitment to advancing smart mobility in emerging markets,” said Xiao Feng, who heads Changan’s operations across the region. “By combining our engineering expertise with Yango’s extensive network, we can create real value for local drivers and passengers.”
Why now?
The timing is deliberate. Africa’s urban centres are expanding fast, but many transport systems still rely on ageing vehicles and high-emission fleets. Yango, best known for its ride-hailing platform Yango Ride, has already handled over 1.2 billion trips worldwide and supports more than two million active drivers. By teaming up with a major automaker, it aims to modernise its regional fleet and make mobility safer, more efficient, and less polluting.
Bulat, Senior Vice President for Mobility at Yango, called the deal a step towards “the next generation of ride-hailing experiences”, built on data-driven insight and sustainability. “We want to improve access and safety for millions of users while helping local operators upgrade their fleets,” he said.
Representatives of the companies at the signing ceremony in Dubai.
A shift in strategy for Changan
For Changan, the partnership extends a three-decade presence in the region. The Chinese manufacturer entered African and Middle Eastern markets in 1994 and has since sold more than 400,000 vehicles. The tie-up with Yango is part of its “Vast Ocean” international plan launched in 2023, which positions Changan as a smart mobility technology brand rather than a traditional carmaker.
Its brands Changan, Deepal and Avatr are already expanding beyond China, supported by research hubs in Europe, Japan, and the US. The company says future African offerings will include hybrid and electric models as charging infrastructure develops.
Mobility ecosystems, not just vehicles
The partnership also highlights how mobility is becoming an ecosystem business rather than a simple buyer-seller model. Instead of focusing purely on retail sales, the two companies will co-develop services, share data, and promote joint branding. The idea is to build sustainable mobility networks that link cars, drivers, and cities in smarter ways.
Both firms expect the collaboration to help shape how ride-hailing evolves across Africa’s growing economies. Reliable vehicles designed for tough conditions, coupled with the efficiency of Yango’s platform, could significantly lower downtime for drivers and emissions for cities.
Towards smarter cities
For passengers, the benefits should be tangible – quieter, cleaner rides and better vehicle standards. For cities, partnerships like this could accelerate the shift to connected transport systems that cut pollution and congestion.
As Changan pushes further into global markets and Yango deepens its regional footprint, their cooperation signals how carmakers and tech companies are converging to define the future of transport. The challenge now will be turning shared ambition into scalable, on-the-ground change.
