Uber South Africa this week celebrated its drivers as independent entrepreneurs, unveiling partnerships and initiatives to cut costs, boost earnings and support sustainable business growth.
At its flagship Heart of the City event, the local branch of the global tech company awarded its Driver of the Year an electric vehicle as it announced schemes to cut fuel, maintenance, insurance and cash costs in a bid to help drivers earn more and run their businesses sustainably.
“Drivers are truly the heartbeat of our cities,” said Deepesh Thomas, GM for Uber sub-Saharan Africa. “Every trip taken on the platform represents a pulse of economic activity.”
To help drivers manage rising costs and boost earnings, Uber announced a suite of new partnerships. These include:
- SMARTOps for vehicle financing;
- ROHM Media for extra income through taxi-top ads;
- Kilomita and Dunlop for fuel and tyre savings;
- Telesure for tailored insurance;
- Shoprite for financial services; and
- October Health for mental wellbeing and professional development.
“By streamlining the costs associated with independent work, we are strengthening the overall economic value proposition for every driver,” Thomas said.
“By negotiating these deals at scale, we are helping drivers manage the daily operational costs, ensuring that the Uber platform remains a resilient pathway to economic participation.”
The event also highlighted driver safety, with every driver gaining free access to Aura’s in-app panic button for emergencies.
Awards also celebrated top performers across categories such as Safety Champion and Best Rider Experience, with prizes including fuel vouchers and new tyres.
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