Uber has announced that it has completed 1 billion rides and covered over 10 billion kilometres across all its markets in Africa.
Since the hailing taxi company settled on the continent in South Africa, it has established itself in seven other African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ivory Coast.
How it all started
Six years ago, Uber launched its food delivery arm in South Africa with just 1,000 restaurants. It has expanded across Nairobi, Kenya, and a few South African cities and serves over 8,000 restaurants.
The company says that Uber and Uber Eats have collectively reached over 30 million riders and eaters in sub-Saharan Africa— 1500% more than they reached in 2017.
While disrupting local cab industries, Uber created over 50,000 driver jobs. However, due to stiff competition from Bolt, Uber has made price slices that sparked conflicts with its employees.
In 2016, the company sliced commuters’ fares by almost 50% in Kenya in response to competition with Bolt. That sparked a civil suit filed against the company and Uber BV from its drivers, which is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, as its gives discounts to riders, Uber continued to scoop 25% commission off drivers’ earning, which created widespread driver agitation across its African markets, including Ghana.
However, stiff competition from Bolt and Yango, in terms of better conditions for drivers, has compelled Uber to reduce its commission to 20%, saving drivers additional 5% on their earning, while continuing to give riders various discount packages to keep their loyalty.
Experiencing opportunities as well as friction, the mobile technology company continues to hit significant milestones such as its billionth ride, 10 billionth kilometer, over 30 million riders and more than 50,000 driver jobs.
