- Uber SA celebrated its 10th anniversary.
- Uber Black rides are to commence in Durban during this month.
- Uber Van will soon make its debut in Cape Town
- For more stories, visit the Tech and Trendshomepage.
Uber South Africa celebrated its 10th anniversary with an event in Johannesburg on Tuesday, marking the occasion with several exciting announcements.
During the event, Uber's general manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Kagiso Khaole, revealed that Uber Black was finally arriving in Durban, a highly anticipated addition for the city.
He said: "This one is where I get tortured on social media, 'when is Uber Black coming Durban?', especially in July!"
Khaole then confirmed that Uber Black rides would commence in Durban during this month.
Additionally, Uber Van will make its debut in Cape Town, enhancing group travel convenience and cost-effectiveness for the city.
Both the launch of Uber Black in Durban and Uber Van in Cape Town are scheduled for November 2023, setting the stage for a series of exciting developments by Uber South Africa as they look forward to the next decade.
First electric mobility product in SA
Uber also unveiled a significant move towards sustainability by launching South Africa's first electric mobility product. This innovation involves using electric vehicles for all Uber Packages, aligning with Uber's broader goal of achieving a zero-emissions platform by 2040.
Initially, Cape Town will receive these electric vehicles this year, with plans to expand to Johannesburg in early 2024.
Other notable developments include the introduction of Uber Store Pick-Ups, enabling customers to have delivery personnel collect prepaid items from stores. Additionally, seatbelt reminders and reserved airport pickups will be expanded to Uber X, Uber Comfort, and Uber XL rides.
Milestones
Reflecting on its 10-year journey in the country, Uber highlighted the platform's role in providing more than one million economic opportunities to South Africans since its launch in the country in 2013.
They also shared some interesting statistics from the past decade.
Here's a look at a few:
- 813.35km: The most kilometres travelled by a single rider;
- OR Tambo International Airport: The most popular drop-off destination;
- 2pm: The most popular time to request a ride;
- R8 816: The biggest tip a rider has given a driver;
- America, UK and Germany: The top three nationalities with the highest number of trips in South Africa; and
- Friday: The most popular day to travel.
"In the next decade, and beyond, Uber will aim to continue innovating to meet the unique needs of riders, couriers and drivers," Khaole said.