The rise of the internet and new technologies is gradually transforming the habits of African consumers and promoting the Uberization of certain activities. International startups are inventing their future on the continent and exploring new opportunities there.
Established since 2016 in the East African market, in major cities such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Dar es Salaam, and Kampala, Uber has also seized development opportunities in French-speaking West Africa. After launching its activities at the end of 2019 in Côte d'Ivoire, the first city in the sub-region to benefit from the ride-hailing service, the American startup has expanded to more than 50 cities on the continent.
Since entering the market in 2013, the startup has celebrated reaching 1 billion trips and more than 10 billion kilometers traveled across all its African markets.
2023 will mark another milestone as the startup officially celebrates ten years of activity in the region. In the meantime, the company's leaders have taken advantage of the start of the new school year to launch several new products and features to enhance its service offering. These new features will be rolled out in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria. In addition, the Uber brand will gradually expand into eight new cities in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria.
Although Uber has entered a real phase of expansion, it faces strong competition, particularly in French-speaking countries, from international players such as BOLT and local competitors such as Taxijet, which is already established in the Ivorian market. In Senegal, Heetch (France) and Yango (Russia) currently share the market and are gaining notoriety in a territory where Uber is still absent.