E-hailing firm Uber has made a R5 billion commitment towards accelerating South Africa’s e-mobility and delivery ecosystems.
The announcement, made at the 2026 South Africa Investment Conference this week, signals the company’s long-term confidence in SA’s growth potential, it says.
Speaking at the conference, Deepesh Thomas, GM for Uber Sub-Saharan Africa, said the investment also highlights the e-hailing firm’s focus on supporting the digital economy, local entrepreneurship and sustainable transport.
“With this new R5 billion pledge, we aim to scale our impact even further, targeting a total annual economic contribution of R50 billion,” Thomas noted.
“This commitment is a vote of confidence in the South African ’hustle’ and a primary contribution toward the national goal of mobilising R2 trillion in new investment. At Uber, we believe the true measure of an investment is not the figure typed into a spreadsheet, but the heartbeat of the economy it sustains.”
According to Thomas, a significant portion of Uber’s investment will go toward expansion plans, which include Uber Moto (motor bike service) – offering affordable last-mile services in areas where public transport is limited. It will also be used to expand the company’s “green” initiatives that promote the adoption of electric vehicles in partnership with fleet providers and companies such as Moove.
Uber entered South Africa over a decade ago, and by 2023, it had contributed an estimated R17 billion annually to the national GDP, the platform says.
Its work with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development helped digitise more than 2 000 township businesses, generating R1 billion in value for local merchants, it adds.
Uber stresses that growth requires a supportive regulatory environment. It says it is working closely with the Department of Transport and local authorities to streamline licensing processes for drivers.
E-hailing drivers in SA have been converting to official e-hailing operating licences, following the amended National Land Transport Amendment Act. The legislation, signed into law in June, is expected to provide guidance for the operation of non-motorised transport, including e-hailing services.
The last few years have seen drivers and operators of Uber, Bolt and Indrive hold nationwide protests, urging government to speed up the process of regulating the e-hailing industry, to minimise what they call “atrocious working conditions” and “unfair wages”.
Other concerns included safety and security issues, and the high commissions deducted by e-hailing services from drivers’ wages.
The industry has also been tainted by incidents of violent attacks, with drivers being subjected to increasing levels of crime at the hands of criminals and rival metered taxi operators.
In some instances, passengers have been harassed by drivers or tenant drivers – with some incidents leading to arrest.
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