Uber faces serious problems in South Africa, including safety concerns, overcharging clients, cancelled trips, and poor-quality cars.
Uber was launched in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town in 2013 and expanded to Durban soon afterwards.
The initial service was Uber Black, where passengers were picked up in Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3-series, and Audi A4 cars.
The cars were top-notch, the drivers were professional and well-trained, and Uber offered extraordinary service levels.
It was a very efficient, safe, and pleasant way to travel in cities, and many people started to use it as the primary mode of transportation.
Even when UberX was launched in 2014, offering rides in Toyota Corollas and similar class vehicles, it remained exceptional.
Under former Uber Sub-Saharan Africa general manager Alon Litz, vetting cars and drivers was core to ensuring comfortable and safe rides.
However, over the last decade, service levels in South Africa have collapsed, and the safety associated with Uber’s early days has disappeared.
One of the biggest complaints is that Uber drivers arrive in dilapidated, unroadworthy vehicles in poor condition.
“I am truly disappointed by Uber. The state of the vehicles is unfathomable. I have serious safety concerns,” one South African Uber user explained.
The high standards for Uber drivers are gone. Many don’t use air conditioning, drive on empty tanks, and often don’t follow the road rules.
A group of Uber drivers, who spoke to BusinessTech on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the allegations are true.
They explained that they avoid using air conditioning because it is expensive, increasing the fuel cost, and they are not compensated for it.
They are confirmed service levels have dropped. “As Uber drivers who make little money, we will not treat our clients well,” they said.
“Drivers are frustrated because of their long work hours and poor earnings. It negatively affects their mental state.”
They added that they do not feel Uber is listening to their complaints, which ultimately affects how they treat their clients.
Cancelled Uber trips
A regular complaint is that an Uber driver accepts a trip but never arrives or travels around for so long that the client is forced to cancel the trip.
One Uber client explained that she ordered a ride and was promised to be picked up within 24 minutes.
However, when it took much longer than promised, she cancelled the ride. As a result, she was charged R65.00.
“I reserved a ride for my elderly mother to get to the hospital for tests. The driver did not pitch, and there are almost no consequences for drivers,” another user said.
Yet another Uber client said they had made a booking in advance for a trip to the Airport. “The driver just did not show up,” they said.
The group of Uber drivers confirmed that they accept trips and then cancel them if they do not find them worthwhile.
MyBroadband exposed how some Uber drivers gamed the company’s airport queuing system by leaving their phones in a room at an e-hailing waiting area overnight.
An appointed person accepted the bookings on their behalf to ensure they remained in the queues, despite not attending to the rider’s requests.
Uber riders who cancel their trips because the driver did not show up are then punished with cancellation penalties.
Uber strongly condemned the behaviour, calling it unacceptable and a clear violation of its community guidelines.
How many similar schemes Uber drivers use to force riders to cancel their trips and face penalties is unclear.
Uber safety concerns
Numerous reports on safety problems associated with Uber in South Africa have been published over the last few years.
In 2023, Johannesburg resident Kayleigh Marx and a friend were attacked and robbed in an Uber while out in Pretoria. She believes the driver orchestrated the attack.
Police confirmed at the time that it was not an isolated incident. Numerous similar cases were reported in Gauteng.
Uber said it was very concerned about the situation and has launched an investigation into the matter.
Last year, Cape Town resident Cheral-Lee le Roux alleged that her Uber driver orchestrated a suspected kidnapping and assault.
She said the Uber driver would not move at a green traffic light, after which four men entered the vehicle, brandishing knives, and began assaulting her.
She told News24 that the driver seemed to be involved in the attack, as it appeared he knew the four men.
Uber South Africa said they were deeply concerned about the incident and that an internal investigation was under way.
Last month, radio and TV host Anele Mdoda opened a police case against an Uber driver who allegedly harassed her. She posted videos about the ordeal online.
Uber said the incident was completely unacceptable and that it was immediately looking into the matter.
“Where a driver breaches our community guidelines, their access to the platform is immediately removed as the safety of everyone using the platform is a top priority,” it said.
Billing concerns
Numerous Uber users in South Africa have reported higher-than-expected billing and trouble to get their money back.
“I requested an Uber ride that was quoted at R186. However, during my trip, Uber deducted an additional R124 from my account,” one user said.
“I checked my Uber app for any explanation of this charge, but there is no record. I have not received any notification or reason for this deduction.”
“I have already tried to resolve this with Uber, but I have not received any clear response or refund.”
Another user described a similar experience. “When I asked the driver why the price had almost gone up 50% upon reaching my destination, he said it was normal practice,” he said.
“When asked what happens to people paying with cash and not having the extra money, he said they’ll recoup the rest on their next ride.”
Another user said their ride was quoted as R98. However, Uber deducted twice the amount from their bank account.
“I used Uber’s help option, but the company has still not refunded my money. Even the driver said he saw that the money was paid twice.”
There are many more reports of overbilling, drivers taking longer routes to increase charges, and problems getting refunds.
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