Taxify, a ride-sharing platform backed by China’s Didi has launched in Kampala, Uganda with hundreds of drivers signed up to the platform and ready to accept rides anywhere in the city.
Kampala joins Johannesburg, Capetown, Durban, Accra, Lagos, Cairo, Nairobi and Mombasa where Taxify is already live. The firm aims to launch in Abuja in a few weeks time.
“Kampala is a huge and thriving marketplace for private urban transport. We’re very excited to launch here and are confident that Taxify can effectively contribute to healthy competition by improving the quality of service and providing an opportunity for drivers to make a sustainable income,” Shivachi Muleji, Kampala Operations Manager, said.
Taxify takes only 15% commission from its drivers, which is far lower than the 25% that competitors take. The lower commission allows Taxify to offer both lower prices for riders and more take-home pay for drivers.
Happy drivers mean a better quality service for riders. Taxify believes in treating its drivers with respect, allowing them to earn more than what they receive on other platforms and providing a range of safeguards and features that help them work in the way that suits them best. It also believes in providing exemplary customer service to riders, with a local customer support team and the option to pay for rides in cash.
Taxify operates in 20 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Central America. It was founded in 2013 in Tallin, Estonia, where it is also headquartered. The ride-sharing platform has a global team of over 250 employees.
In August 2017, Taxify announced a strategic partnership with Didi Chuxing, the world’s leading mobile transportation platform. Under this partnership, DiDi will invest in and collaborate with Taxify to support the latter’s further growth and innovation.