Global ride-hailing taxi app firm, Uber recently disclosed that it has facilitated 1 billion trips in Africa, since entering the market less than 10 years ago. Over 10 billion kilometers of trips have been completed, which is equivalent to traveling to the moon and back over 5,500 times.
During the same period, Uber and Uber Eats have collectively reached over 30 million riders and Eaters in Sub-Saharan Africa.
While celebrating the milestone, the head of communications for East and West Africa, Lorraine Ondur, had this to say; “Since entering the market in 2013, we have created over 6 million economic opportunities in over 50 cities across SSA that we are present in. We pride ourselves on building locally and using global expertise. Each country’s needs are unique, so we take the time to understand each of the market’s needs so we can be responsive and adapt accordingly”.
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This is indeed a great milestone for Uber worth celebrating, with the Company’s valuation weighing at $18bn in 2015, and a market cap of $42.31 billion making Uber the world’s 390th most valuable company, Uber is gaining a reputation not only for its popularity among investors but also for its aggressive expansion strategy.
The company officially launched its services in Africa in 2013, operating first in Johannesburg, and other cities in South Africa, before it officially launched its services in one of the world’s most populous cities in the world, Lagos state Nigeria.
The company has also spread to other African cities, connecting passengers to uber-registered drivers. Uber no doubt capitalized on the big opportunity in the African region for its flexible and reliable service, also offering multiple price points.
Since its launch in Africa, Uber’s uptake has been incredible in all cities where they currently operate. Within a short space of time, the company has been doing thousands of trips per week, with hundreds of drivers on the system.
One fantastic thing Uber did was to capitalize on large markets in Africa, as well as the region’s population’s openness to testing and adopting new technologies. For example, after it researched the African market, the company deemed it fit to launch its services in Lagos state Nigeria, because of its large population(5,195m) and its size (999.6km).
The company also found out that aside from the fact that businesses thrive in Lagos state, Lagosians are also forward-thinking people and tech-savvy, who would want to adopt any products that they find interesting, and Uber has been doing just that since it’s entry into the state.
With 2.7m active monthly riders and over 59,000 drivers, the firm states that its commitment to expansion in the African region remains undimmed. It is interesting to note that Uber’s role in Africa is not only to improve the transportation ecosystem but to also support economic growth, particularly small businesses as well as to tackle the high unemployment rate in the country.
The company has already partnered with a significant number of drivers and provided them with the tools to build their businesses. The company’s mission is to provide safe and reliable transportation to passengers, as well as creating greater economic opportunities for drivers. No doubt, Uber is enjoying the African market, which has seen its rapid expansion to vast amounts of African regions.