Kagiso Khaole has been named the new general manager of Uber in Sub-Saharan Africa division, SSA. Frans Hiemstra, who was promoted to the position of regional general manager for Uber Middle East and Africa, will be replaced by him.
Khaole has worked in a number of businesses, including e-commerce, software and services, consumer electronics, management consulting, insurance, and banking before joining Uber in 2021 as the head of mobility operations across SSA.
Uber claims that due to his extensive experience, he is in a good position to expand the company’s operations in the area, which now span 56 cities in South Africa, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Uganda. The business operates in more than 10 000 cities across more than 65 nations.
“Kagiso’s contribution to the rides business has been nothing short of excellent, and I am confident our SSA region will continue to grow from strength to strength under his leadership,” Hiemstra said.
With a market cap of US$64.32 billion, the e-taxi company, which claims to be the largest taxi company in the world, ranks as the 232nd most valuable corporation in the world.
Having handled more than a billion rides across the continent since entering the market less than ten years ago, Uber claims to view Africa as a major market.
However, the ride-hailing company has encountered strong resistance in SA over the years, with clashes between metered taxi and e-hailing drivers breaking out all over the nation.
Rival metered taxi companies have attempted to evict Uber partner drivers from what they claim is their zone, and Uber has had to deal with this resistance.
“We are certainly excited about the future, especially because next year, we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary in SSA,” said Khaole.
“We continue to remain committed to raising the bar on safety, as well as improving the experience of drivers, delivery people and riders using the Uber app. I am excited to be a part of this journey.”
In the more than 50 SSA cities where Uber is active, the company claims to have generated over three million economic possibilities across the ride-hailing and delivery industries.
According to the company, Uber and Uber Eats have jointly served over 30 million riders and diners throughout SSA since their introduction on the continent.