How VAYA actually works.

The VAYA restaurant app runs on any Android or iOS tablet (10-inch recommended). It shows incoming orders with a loud audio and visual alert, displays the customer's order in full, confirms estimated rider pickup time, and allows the kitchen to mark orders as ready. No complex setup — download the app, log in with your restaurant credentials, and you are live. VAYA provides onboarding support and the app is free.

Your subscription tier is determined by your monthly order volume — R300 Starter (up to ~50 orders/month), R500 Growing (50–150 orders/month), R800 Active (150+ orders/month). Billing is monthly by debit order or card. The tier adjusts automatically if your volume changes. There are no per-order charges, no commission deductions, no surprise fees. Your first two months are completely free — billing begins in month three. If in any month your order volume doesn't reach the flat fee threshold, VAYA charges R2 per order instead of the flat fee. So a slow month of 80 orders costs R160, not R300. The flat fee only applies once orders are genuinely flowing. Delivery rates paid to riders: R7/km standard, R8.50/km peak, R10 flag fall, R25 minimum (SA) · £2.10/mile standard, £2.60/mile peak, £1.50 flag fall, £5.00 minimum (UK). Riders demanded R6/km via SA strike action — VAYA pays R7/km, exceeding that demand.

1. Customer places order through the VAYA customer app.
2. Order appears instantly on the restaurant tablet with an alert.
3. Restaurant confirms and begins preparing the order.
4. The VAYA dispatch system assigns the nearest available rider.
5. Rider navigates to the restaurant for pickup.
6. Restaurant marks order as ready — rider collects and delivers.
7. Customer receives real-time tracking throughout.

The VAYA rider app (Android and iOS) shows available orders near you with the full fare shown upfront before you accept. Accept or decline freely — no penalty for declining. Accepted orders provide turn-by-turn navigation to the restaurant, then to the customer. Your earnings are tracked in real-time and shown in your wallet. Weekly statements show every delivery, every fare, and your subscription deduction.

The R500/month (SA) or £30/month (UK) rider subscription is not charged upfront. It is deducted in small weekly instalments directly from your delivery earnings — roughly R125/week in SA or £7.50/week in UK. If in any week your earnings do not cover the instalment, the shortfall rolls forward. Your bank account is never debited for the subscription. You are never out of pocket.

VAYA's dispatch system assigns orders to the nearest available rider within a defined geofenced zone. This means shorter dead miles (travelling without earning), faster pickup times for restaurants, and faster delivery for customers. Riders in the active zone receive first priority. The system is designed to maximise the number of deliveries per hour within a dense local zone — not to send riders across the city for one order.

The VAYA customer app works like any food delivery app — browse restaurants near you, add items to your basket, pay securely, and track your delivery in real-time. The difference is underneath: no booking fee, no service charge, no unpredictable surge multipliers. VAYA has two fixed rates — standard and peak — both published in advance. The delivery fee you see is fixed, distance-based, and goes entirely to the rider. What you see is what you pay.

If an order arrives wrong, late, or incomplete — contact VAYA support directly through the app. Disputes are reviewed by a person, not an automated system. Refund or credit decisions are made within 24 hours. For lost items after delivery, a one-tap recovery flow connects you to the rider immediately. VAYA's complaint and resolution policy is published in full — no hidden clauses.

VAYA operates four connected applications built on a shared backend. The customer app (iOS and Android) handles ordering and tracking. The rider app (iOS and Android) handles dispatch, navigation, and earnings. The restaurant app (iOS and Android, tablet-optimised) handles order management. The admin dashboard handles dispatch oversight, subscription billing, dispute management, and reporting. All four apps communicate in real-time through the VAYA dispatch engine.

Customer payments are processed securely via card (Stripe in the UK, PayFast in South Africa). Rider earnings are paid weekly into the rider's registered bank account, after the subscription instalment is deducted. Restaurants are billed monthly by debit order or card. No cash handling. No manual reconciliation.

VAYA launches in defined geofenced zones — Observatory and surrounding suburbs in Cape Town — before expanding. This means order density is high from day one in the active zone, riders earn more per hour (more orders, shorter distances), and restaurants get faster, more reliable service. Expanding to a new zone happens only once the existing zone is operating well. This is the opposite of the spray-and-pray approach used by most platform launches.