Uber’s regional manager for sub-Saharan Africa is Kagisa Khaole.
- Kagisa Khaole has been appointed as Uber’s new general manager for sub-Saharan Africa.
- It comes as Uber is in talks with driver-partners in Gauteng who want the platform to reassess the 25% commission it takes from them.
- Uber has grown its presence to 50 cities in sub-Saharan Africa and a billion trips across the continent.
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Ride-hailing platform Uber announced on Tuesday that Kagiso Khaole will take over as its CEO for sub-Saharan Africa.
Khaole will succeed Frans Heimstra, who will now serve as Uber’s general manager for the Middle East and Africa. The move puts Khaole at the helm of Uber in the region, where the business operates in 50 cities on a continent where Uber has facilitated a billion rides.
Khaole’s arrival in the role comes at a time when the platform is in critical talks with its driver partners in Gauteng over issues such as the platform’s payment system.
The driver-partners want Uber to revise the 25% commission it charges drivers or raise fares to the point where drivers can take home more profit.
READ | Uber to meet Gauteng drivers, government over pay – after three fare hikes this year
Uber said in a statement that Khaole joined Uber in 2021, leading the platform’s operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
“This positions Kagiso well to further develop its business in the region, which operates in more than 50 cities in South Africa, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Uganda,” the statement said.
The statement said Khaole has worked in industries such as e-commerce, software, consumer electronics, management consulting, insurance and banking.
Hiemstra said Kaole’s contribution to the business “has been nothing short of outstanding.”
“I am confident that under his leadership our SSA region will continue to grow from strength to strength,” Heimstra said.
READ | Uber ‘unlikely’ to waive the 25% commission it charges SA drivers
Khaole said: “We continue to raise the bar on safety and improve the experience for drivers, delivery people and riders using the Uber app. I am very excited to be a part of this journey.”
The statement said Africa remains an “exciting market” for the company, having facilitated one billion trips on the continent in less than a decade.
“Uber has also created more than three million ride and delivery economic opportunities,” the statement said.
