"African leaders who dilute workers’ rights for Uber’s digital empire harm Africa"

This year will mark a decade of Uber’s operations in Africa. The ride-hailing service entered Johannesburg in August 2013 – one of its earliest forays outside the US – and now operates in dozens of cities across eight African countries. But if Uber plans to celebrate this milestone, it will do so under a cloud of controversy. Many of the ruthless practices highlighted in last year’s explosive leak, dubbed the Uber files, were honed in African markets in particular. The documents revealed how Uber forced its way into economies while sometimes ignoring local laws. Uber spokespeople have since claimed that the company culture has changed under new leadership.

The expansion of digital labour platforms in Africa has been largely welcomed by governments desperate to tackle crises of unemployment and low growth. The hope is that low- and middle-income countries can unlock development by specialising in digital commodities and services. The African Union, and African governments, have placed heavy emphasis on the potential of the fourth industrial revolution to create opportunities for young unemployed people across the region...

Uber admits to past mistakes and says that it has “fundamentally changed” over the past five years. However, in a recent case, in Tanzania, the government tried to determine a per-kilometre ride-hailing rate and force companies to lower their commissions to 15% amid soaring fuel prices in March 2022. In response, Uber suspended its operations in the country, giving one day’s notice of this action in a statement. Its main competitor, Bolt, also significantly scaled back its operations.