South Africans are done with Uber

Uber is facing significant challenges in South Africa, with customers frustrated by disrespectful and dangerous drivers, overcharging, shoddy vehicles, and drivers cancelling trips.

The ride-hailing service has operated in South Africa since 2013, and it was a major hit at launch. However, customers are now reporting that service levels have deteriorated dramatically.

MyBroadband asked Uber what it was doing to address these concerns and its process for resolving complaints, but it hadn’t answered our query by the time of publication.

The service has received 25 one-star reviews on the customer feedback platform HelloPeter in the last week alone.

Most complaints related to poor customer service from Uber, reckless and disrespectful drivers, and customers being overcharged.

“I am disgusted in the service I received from Uber. Last week, the driver drove recklessly with me and left me on the side of the road,” one customer wrote.

“I forgot my parcel in the car. That happened on 1 October, and to date, I have not gotten any feedback from Uber. They showed no interest in my safety or the goods that were left in the car.”

Another user complained about their driver’s poor driving, which resulted in the driver bumping a pedestrian and ditching the customer.

“Last night I took an Uber and the driver drove recklessly even after I told him to slow down. He then knocked a guy in the road. I jumped out, and he drove off without stopping to check on the pedestrian,” they wrote.

They added that the driver left while their parcels were still in the car, which they reported to Uber.

“I’m still waiting on them to get back to me and the driver hasn’t returned my parcel,” they wrote.

“I will not recommend Uber going forward to anyone. They even removed the driver’s contact number so I could not call him to return my packages.”

There are numerous other complaints, including one in which a user says their fee for an Uber delivery trip more than doubled from R114 to R337 due to a driver error.

Uber previously told MyBroadband that the company’s goal is to ensure all customers have a smooth and hassle-free experience, emphasising that customer satisfaction is a top priority.

“When things do not go as planned, we endeavour to act quickly to make it right,” it said.

It added that it has dedicated support teams to investigate and resolve issues raised by both customers and drivers.

“We continually invest in driver education and evolving our in-app safety features,” Uber said.

“Rider feedback is an important part of this process, and we encourage riders to report issues directly through the app.”

Panic buttons and branded vehicle rules

South Africa’s new ride-hailing regulations took effect on Friday, 12 September 2025, following a long wait for the implementation of amendments to the National Land Transport Act.

The new regulations are primarily aimed at addressing loopholes in public transport requirements that have emerged following the introduction of ride-hailing services like Uber and Bolt in South Africa.

The first major change is that e-hailing drivers must now obtain operating licenses. “This will ensure that services remain authorised and safe,” the Department of Transport said.

“The Provincial Regulatory Entity offices will ensure compliance upon processing all applications before drivers can be issued with an Operating License.”

The new regulations also aim to ensure that ride-hailing services maintain quality and security. All e-hailing vehicles must be branded or display a sign bearing the company name.

Each vehicle must also be fitted with panic buttons for the driver and passengers. It is the responsibility of vehicle owners to ensure these are installed.

“The panic button for commuters will assist with crime detection and enable a rapid response by law enforcement or tracking companies,” the department said.

Despite these interventions, the department still recommends that commuters verify the vehicle and driver details in the app before entering a ride-hailing vehicle.

“Commuters are also required to ensure that the vehicle and driver are compliant,” the department said. “Drivers are required to have the requisite documents to be eligible for compliance.”

Ride-hailing companies that let drivers use their platform without an operating licence will face fines of up to R100,000 or up to two years in jail.

Companies like Uber, Bolt, and InDrive must register and comply with company laws in South Africa under the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition, as well as the South African Revenue Service.

Department of Transport spokesperson Collen Msibi previously said the operating licence also comes with specific conditions.

This includes requiring vehicles to be roadworthy and specifying an area of jurisdiction where the driver may operate their services.

He 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,” said Msibi.

“You’ve got to return to your jurisdiction after you’ve dropped your client.”

The provisional regulator will determine the exact jurisdiction when applications come in.

This article was written by MyBroadband and was republished with permission.