Uber Launches Food Delivery Service in South Africa

The world’s largest online taxi company Uber has launched UberEats, a new food delivery service in South Africa, allowing people to order their favorite meals from any location.

According to Fortune, UberEats will begin in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa’s capital, before expanding to other parts of the country in 2017.

Uber Operations and Logistics Manager Dave Kitley says they are hoping to spread the service to the rest of Africa, “Johannesburg was the first city in Africa to have Uber launch — and based on the success of launching in Africa as well as the characteristics of Jo’burg and where we are right now in terms of our maturity — it is really about testing the product and being the first city in Africa.”

UberEats

UberEats is part of the company’s aggressive global drive to make takeaway food deliveries easy and quick.

Currently, the company is on a massive recruitment drive in South Africa to bring on board “hundreds delivery and restaurant partners.”

The service is already in operation in six countries and is set to launch in Amsterdam on Thursday, 28 September.

“By tapping in to the Uber network, you can get anything from our roster of local restaurants, fast,” Uber writes on their website.

The company adds that an average order takes only 35 minutes from start to finish, and users can schedule their orders up to a week in advance.

Once you have placed your order, you are provided with a quote that covers the cost of food and the delivery fee.

To ensure the food is delivered on time, the new platform allows you to track your order on the site as it is delivered to you.

Uber arrived in South Africa in 2013, and since then, its service has grown to more than 4,000 drivers in major cities, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town, according to the Fortune.

However, it has not been all rosy for the international company as it has been facing massive protests by local taxi associations across Africa mainly due to its relatively low prices.