The move makes Uber available in eight cities across East Africa, which means more drivers have access to earning opportunities and more riders an affordable, convenient, and reliable travel solution throughout the region, at the tap of a button. Imran Manji, Head of East Africa explains: “We are committed to East Africa, a key contributor to the growth of our business in Sub-Saharan Africa. We’re passionate about helping people travel and discover their city with ease and helping drivers increase earning opportunities.” The company has also launched UberXL in Nairobi, an option that provides seating for up to 6 people and extra luggage and is great for airport trips and even for groups who are making a business trip. To help reduce costs for riders and increase demand for drivers, Uber is rolling out ChapChap Share, the option of a shared ride that gives up to 30% of savings on trip fares, when a rider is paired with a co-rider. As ridesharing becomes a way of life for more people, Uber never stops raising the bar on safety and is rolling out a new safety feature dubbed Safety Check Up. Based on research, most riders seem to be unaware of the safety features available to them which contributes to a lack of confidence in the safety of the app. As a result, Uber is launching Safety Check-up across SSA which will encourage riders to complete their safety profile by turning on and utilising the available features such as Trusted Contacts, PIN verification, and Ride Check. Its food delivery platform, Uber Eats continues to push beyond boundaries with the adoption of the growing trend of dark stores, which gives non-traditional merchants opportunities to tap into unchartered markets that they wouldn’t have easily accessed. Kui Mbugua, General Manager for Uber Eats Kenya says, ‘With a 67% year on year growth of subscriptions on Eats, we are humbled and encouraged by the expansion that we have seen in South Africa and Kenya. Uber Eats is also rolling out new features across Sub-Saharan Africa such as Item Replacements, which allows consumers to choose the next best item if the original item is out of stock and Safety Age Verification for customers to scan their IDs to confirm they are of legal age to purchase alcohol and pharmacy items. The delivery marketplace is a sunrise industry with the potential for massive development and expansion across the continent, with the potential to reach over 30 million people with Uber Eats’ unique technology-driven delivery services.
