International ride-hailing giant Uber risks losing a significant portion of its rides in South Africa due to the service charging extremely high prices relative to its competitors.
A MyBroadband staff member recently compared the pricing offered by Uber to its most prominent rival in South Africa, Bolt, on a trip from OR Tambo International Airport to Fourways.
The journey is approximately 35km, and the most affordable option available through the Uber platform, its Uber Go product, quoted R350 for the trip.
In comparison, the most affordable option from Bolt, its Economy product, quoted an amount of R182 — nearly half Uber’s cheapest rate.
Moreover, Uber quoted R446 for its UberX product and R595 for its Comfort product for the same route. In comparison, Bolt’s Comfort and Premium options cost R241 and R359, respectively.
As a result of the price difference, the staff member hailed their cab through Bolt and said the service compared well with Uber.
MyBroadband asked Uber how it plans to remain competitive in a market like South Africa, which is very price-sensitive, but it hadn’t answered by the time of publication.
It should be noted that the higher rates were only quoted for trips from the airport. Using Uber to get from Fourways to OR Tambo International Airport was comparable in price to Bolt.
Uber has faced harsh criticism in South Africa in recent months, with customers frustrated by high prices, poor-quality vehicles, disrespectful and dangerous drivers, and drivers cancelling trips.
The international ride-hailing giant has operated in South Africa for over a decade, having first launched locally in 2013. It was a hit at launch.
However, users are now reporting deteriorating service levels, including poor customer service from Uber itself.
The service has received numerous one-star reviews on the customer feedback platform HelloPeter in recent weeks, and most complaints relate to high prices and reckless and disrespectful drivers.
“Always increasing your fees at the end of the ride. They choose terrible routes that are longer and end up costing the customer more,” one frustrated user wrote.
“The driver ran through several red lights and, upon arrival, was denied access at the estate gate because he could not produce a valid driver’s licence,” another customer said.
In previous feedback to MyBroadband, Uber said its goal is to ensure all customers have a smooth and hassle-free experience.
“When things do not go as planned, we endeavour to act quickly to make it right,” it said.
“We continually invest in driver education and evolving our in-app safety features. Rider feedback is an important part of this process, and we encourage riders to report issues directly through the app.”
Big changes for Uber and Bolt in South Africa
The Department of Transport Gazetted amendments to the National Land Transport Act on Friday, 12 September 2025, enforcing a set of new ride-hailing regulations in South Africa.
The new rules are designed to address gaps in public transport requirements that emerged following the introduction of services such as Uber and Bolt in South Africa.
The first major amendment is that e-hailing drivers now require operating licences to work in South Africa.
“This will ensure that services remain authorised and safe,” the department said.
“The Provincial Regulatory Entity offices will ensure compliance upon processing all applications before drivers can be issued with an Operating License.”
Another key goal of the new regulations is to ensure ride-hailing services maintain quality and security. Part of this requires all ride-hailing vehicles to be branded or display a sign bearing the company name.
Vehicles must also be fitted with panic buttons for the driver and passengers, and it is the vehicle owner’s responsibility to ensure these are fitted.
“The panic button for commuters will assist with crime detection and enable a rapid response by law enforcement or tracking companies,” the department said.
Even with these new regulations, the department still urges users to verify vehicle and driver details in-app before entering a ride-hailing vehicle.
“Commuters are also required to ensure that the vehicle and driver are compliant,” it said. “Drivers are required to have the requisite documents to be eligible for compliance.”
Letting drivers use a platform without an operating licence will cost the respective ride-hailing company up to R100,000 in fines or up to two years in jail.
Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi previously revealed that operating licences come with certain conditions.
One such condition is operating jurisdiction. Under the new regulations, an operating licence will specify the area in which a driver can operate.
Msibi gave an example of a driver licensed to operate in Tshwane, who gets a request for a trip to Limpopo.
“You’ve got to go and drop that client in Limpopo and return to your jurisdiction. Currently, you can simply wait in Limpopo to take another passenger. That’s going to have to come to an end,” he said.
“You’ve got to return to your jurisdiction after you’ve dropped your client.”
The provisional regulator will determine the exact jurisdiction as it adjudicates applications.