Uber facing severe challenges in South Africa

At the current moment, Uber is facing severe challenges in South Africa, including cars in a dilapidated state, bad drivers, frequent cancelled trips, driver strikes, and passengers being attacked and robbed.

Launched in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town in 2013, Uber was offering exceptional services. The cars were top-notch, the drivers were professional and well-trained. Even when UberX was launched in 2014 to offer a more affordable alternative to the high-end UberBLACK service, it remained exceptional.

Vetting cars and drivers was core to ensuring comfortable and safe rides under the former general manager of Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, Alon Litz. Ten years later, Uber in South Africa is a shadow of its early days. Complaints about poor experiences dominate discussions about the service.

A great number of passengers have been complaining about Uber drivers arriving in dilapidated and unroadworthy vehicles in poor condition. Drivers no longer use air-conditioning, drive on empty tanks, and often don’t follow the road rules. The service has become extremely unreliable, with drivers also regularly cancelling trips, leaving riders stranded.

Recently, many people complained about being attacked and robbed when taking an Uber. Recent reports by The Sunday Times include Johannesburg resident Kayleigh Marx and a friend that were attacked and robbed in an Uber while out in Pretoria. She believes the driver was behind the attack.

The police did confirm that it was not an isolated incident. They said four such cases have been opened at the Brooklyn police station and two in Garsfontein in the past month, and many similar cases have been reported, with Uber saying it was very concerned about the situation and has launched an investigation into the matter.

Last month, Uber drivers in South Africa were threatening to shut down operations so that they could protest ongoing safety concerns and low pay. Many drivers engaged in strike action in July to have their complaints about the low pricing of rides and the 25% service fee heard.

Talking to the Daily Investor, a spokesperson from Uber said the safety of drivers and riders is their utmost priority. “We have launched several industry-leading safety features over the years, including features dedicated to the South African market,” Uber said.

What that includes is an in-app emergency button, Audio Recording, RideCheck, and Safety Check-up. Kagiso Khaole, who is Uber’s general manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, said an internal investigation of the safety incidents that were reported to them showed they were perpetrated by third-party individuals and not by drivers on the Uber platform.

“Some of the cases reported took place as a result of the alleged victims getting into the wrong vehicle. We are in touch with law enforcement officials to provide any information that will assist with resolving the cases.” – he said.

In regards to the vehicle quality, Uber said it has vehicle standards, including quality and age, that drivers need to follow as part of the company’s requirements to sign up. Every vehicle must also pass an independent annual inspection.

The criteria for the vehicle eligibility differ per product offering to ensure the experience is what riders expect.

When it comes to the age of the vehicles, Uber has updated its policy as a guideline for drivers for certain types of rides and extended the vehicle age requirement from a minimum of 5 years to 8 years for all products.