Is There Uber In South Africa

[Breogan Heflin]

Thearrival of Uber in cities around the world has not always been a welcome development. Newspaper headlines over the past year have included images of car burnings in Nairobi, protests in Jakarta, and police firing tear gas on protesters in Cairo.

Uber is a service that uses technology to empower any owner of a vehicle to take part in commercial ride-sharing ventures. It has revolutionised the transport industry in many European and US cities and created jobs, as one simply needs a car and a smartphone to register. Customers can easily order the service via a smartphone app. Therefore, in many places, it has provided cheaper and more reliable transport than the traditional taxis.

Traffic congestion in Kampala imposes a substantial economic and social toll on the city. Earlier this year, at an urbanisation conference hosted by the International Growth Centre, the executive director of the Kampala Capital City Authority, Jennifer Musisi estimated that 24,000 man-hours are lost daily in traffic jams.

Uber has sparked controversy in many cities due to concerns of regulation as well as how the service can be taxed. The potential costs in this respect for cities in developing countries are most likely to be smaller due to the fact that, in general, it is more difficult to effectively regulate private taxi operators. Services like Uber could provide mechanisms for user-based self-regulation in the areas of pricing and safety.

In cities like Kampala and Nairobi, the price of a taxi trip is usually determined ex-ante and is the result of a combination of factors, including the bargaining power between the driver and passenger, the type of car as well as the weather. Even in cities with decent competition between private providers, there are still variations in the price of a trip to the same destination.

With Uber, pricing is becoming standardised and increasingly transparent with the introduction of meters. The ultimate effect of this is that on the one hand, the price of a ride may be cheaper with a standardised fare, and on the other, congestion and time of day could result in higher prices. But the use of a meter has other regulatory benefits, such as the fact that governments may now have the opportunity to tax taxi drivers.

In terms of safety, lax or lacking regulation means that often any person can operate a taxi, regardless of the state of their vehicle or whether they have a valid driving licence. Uber ensures that cars operating as taxis are registered and thus clearly documented.

Furthermore, the reviews of the car and driver provided by passengers at the end of each trip allows for more effective and continuously updated user-driven regulation. The GPS tracking of the vehicles provide additional safety measures.

In countries where the overarching legislative framework is non-existent, Uber may have a first-mover advantage and thus a unique position to shape future legislation of ride-sharing services. For example, in Ghana, Uber has entered into a statement of understanding with the Ministry of Transport, which could later drive the drafting of other legislation in this area.

Cities like Kampala and Nairobi struggle with connectivity for a number of reasons: They have not achieved actual density. Instead, they are characterised by growing urban sprawl. They struggle with effective density and public transport options are limited.

The 2010 Uganda National Household Survey estimates that over 70 per cent of Kampala residents walk to work. This means, unlike a city like London where, in 2012 some residents could reach over 2.5 million jobs in 45 minutes, the number of jobs accessible within a similar radius is very low.

As the economy and the middle class grow, more vehicles are coming into the country. Yet the road network cannot keep up, which leads to increasing congestion. Uber could help mitigate this connectivity challenge by providing better transportation.

Uber may also help reduce congestion. By having up-to-date traffic information via smartphone apps and from other cars en route, Uber drivers are able to avoid congested routes. Their pricing structure, which includes surge pricing during peak time, may also discourage movement when routes are gridlocked. In the medium run, it could encourage ride sharing, as the newly launched uberPOOL has shown in some cities.

There are other benefits that Uber can have for African cities, including employment creation or, as is currently the case in Kenya, providing information on drivers that can allow them to take out loans.

But one of the most important benefits Uber will bring to urban planners and other authorities grappling with managing rapid urbanisation is data. Uber has access to a large source of data, as the app collects information on ride times, routes and estimates of the supply and demand for their taxis.

Are you thinking about travelling to Cape Town or South Africa, but worried about the safety situation? This guide contains safety tips and information based on our recent three-month stay in South Africa for tourists travelling to Cape Town or wider South Africa.

First up, the good news. Charlie and I (Luke, here) spent three amazing months in South Africa. We spent most of our time in Cape Town and it was a truly incredible place to visit. We were not the victims of any crime in any way. The South Africans we met, almost without exception, were friendly and welcoming to tourists. We feel lucky to have met so many amazing people and learned so much about South African culture.

Be especially careful of anyone who attempts to direct you to an ATM to withdraw money. A common scam is for someone in official-looking gear to tell a tourist they need a ticket from the ATM because a road is closed. Accomplices wait at the ATM and jump the tourist when they get there.

My South African friend told me never to use public transport in Cape Town. That includes both buses and trains. Whilst locals do use public transport, us tourists are easily recognisable and crime does happen on public transport in South Africa.

Firstly, how experienced are you at travelling? Of course, you can be the victim of crime no matter how experienced or inexperienced you are. But I do think that Cape Town is a better destination for experienced travellers.

For our second apartment, we stayed on Leeuwen Street (right by Bree street). It made a huge difference and we barely got hassled at all. It made me realise that location is very important when staying in Cape Town. This street was only around five blocks away from our first apartment to put into perspective how quickly the safety of an area can change.

Some of them have obvious mental health problems. Most of the homeless people we encountered were friendly and polite, but many of them asked us for food or money and some became confrontational. In these situations, the public safety officers did not intervene or support in any way, even if they were close by.

Hi! Really appreciate your insight and experience. My husband, myself and our 17 and 15 year old daughters will be staying in Clifton July 13-16. We are experienced travelers, but a bit concerned. We have a cape peninsula driving tour one Day and a half day city driving tour booked. We did book an African experience dinner that includes transfer, but it will definitely be dark when done. We will be picking up a car at the airport on the 16th and driving to Franshool and Mossel Bay and to a game reserve, then Ostrich Town and back to Kings Rd., Sea Point area in Cape Town for the last night and plan to shop at V& A. Hoping we chose good areas for our family. We did tons of research. Would appreciate your input. Thank you for your time. All the best to you both!

Thank you for all the information! I have been looking at transfers to/from the airport to my Airbnb in Moiulle Point. I think I am going with a private transfer just to have the car waiting on me since I am getting in at 2245 hours. I plan on doing the Cape Town Free Walking Tours and also a Bo Kaap Cooking Tour, Robben Island, Aquila Safari, Full Day Cape Town Tour, and a full day Cape Agulhas Tour. I am also going to a concert at the GrandWest Grand Arena and hope the uber will be easy to get after the concert (probably about 11pm). Are there are tour operators that you suggest? I am a solo traveler and have a handful of restaurants I want to check out- my plan is to eat out at lunch and be home at night so I am not in the city alone after dark

Hi, thanks for putting together this very informative guide! I have been to Cape Town before but as a volunteer staying in a locals house. I am travelling with my partner who is a tall male (I am hoping this will help deter people compared to if it was just me) and we are staying in Hout Bay for the majority of the trip, which Is where I stayed before. I am slightly concerned about the parking situation and about driving through dodgy areas as we have hired a car (due to the bad public transport and horror stories about taxis I had heard). What were the main steets/areas you would avoid in and around the Cape Town area? And if you drove anywhere did you manage to safely park in places? How did you plan your route?

Hello,

Love your blog and all your recommendations! My daughter and I are traveling to Cape Town very soon. My daughter is a very seasoned traveler but I am very nervous. We have rented a car to drive from the airport to our hotel and for the week to drive ourselves around. Do you have any contacts that we could reach out to so we could hire someone to drive us around?

This meme making the rounds strikes a funny and accurate note. Yes, Uber is much more than a ride-sharing app. It has completely disrupted the transport industry, and the way people relate to each other online. Why not catch a ride from a stranger when it is so easy, convenient and fun?

Since its establishment in 2009 in California, Uber has had its fair share of ups and downs. Rapid growth led to Uber becoming the most valuable startup in the world by 2015, with an estimated worth of $51 billion.

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