Yesterday Uber said it hit one billion trips in Africa since entering the market less than 10 years ago.
The journeys totaled over 10 billion kilometers, which is the equivalent of traveling to and from the moon 5500 times
Uber said its mission was not just to support entrepreneurs and mobility, but also to make mobility more affordable for the people on the African continent.
Head of Communications for East and West Africa Lorraine Onduru, said: “Since entering the market in 2013, we have created over six million economic opportunities in over 50 cities across Sub Saharan Africa, SSA that we are present in. We pride ourselves in building locally but using global expertise. Each country’s needs are unique so we take the time to understand each of the market needs so we can be responsive and adapt accordingly”.
The tech company says in June, it will officially mark six years in Ghana, another testament to the role itplays as a partner to the cities it operates in.
Besides moving people around, Uber also moves food with its Uber Eats launched six years ago in South Africa. Uber Eats has expanded the number of restaurants from 1000 since launch, to over 8000 merchants across 36 cities in South Africa and Kenya.
Onduru says: “We’ve expanded our offerings in markets where we currently operate, innovating with new business models to serve changing needs. The focus for Uber in Africa as it embarks on the next one billion trips is to continue unlocking opportunities through movement and changing how people, food, and things move through cities.” She added that each country in Africa that Uber operates in, offers its own unique opportunities.
“We have found the region to be defined by agility, creativity and adaptability. This provides Uber with the perfect conditions to launch and nurture our on-demand economy in collaboration with the local partners to adapt a global business model into an African environment with diverse political, business and socio-economic dynamics,” she said.
