The ride-hailing wars 🚗
#220: Every action, no matter how small, has a ripple effect on the world.
Hello Venturer,
If you’ve been scrolling through social media lately, you might have noticed that Nigeria and South Africa are in a heated battle—but not in the way you’d expect. Instead of traditional warfare, ride-hailing services have become the weapon of choice. It started when South African Uber and Bolt users began to prank against their Nigerian counterparts. They booked rides in Nigeria, only to send the drivers on wild goose chases with misleading location details before canceling the trip. These pranksters shared screenshots of their mischievous acts online, sparking a wave of retaliation from Nigerian users. Unfortunately, the drivers are left to bear the brunt of the entire digital duel.
Meanwhile, in Kenya, the ride-hailing war is taking a less intense turn. Here, it’s a tug-of-war between drivers and passengers. Recently, Uber announced a fare increase, after growing frustrations among ride-hailing drivers, demanding better pay and more control over pricing. Although Uber’s new pricing model falls short of the drivers’ demands, indicating a compromise that still aims to balance drivers’ earnings with consumer affordability, in a market where consumers are highly price-sensitive, even a small increase in fares can lead to passengers feeling the pinch and drivers caught in the middle. For many Kenyans who rely on Uber for their daily commute, this isn’t just another headline, it is a change that affects their wallets and their way of life.
This week, we take a closer look at the fallout from Uber’s fare hike in Kenya, exploring how it’s affecting everyone from drivers to passengers and what it means for the future of ride-hailing in the region.
Suotunimi Orufa
Features writer, Ventures Africa
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