End of an era for Uber in South Africa
Uber has informed its customers in South Africa that the UberX ride service will be discontinued on 1 September 2026.
According to MyBroadband, the announcement follows an earlier notice given to users in Johannesburg in May 2026 about the service ending.
The UberX service is a low-cost option for the ride-sharing platform, which launched in Cape Town in June 2014, before expanding to Johannesburg that August.
Uber launched in South Africa in August 2013.
In contrast to the higher-end Uber Black service, which features premium vehicles like Mercedes and Audi, the UberX service had more economic and comfortable-class vehicles.
The service had Toyota Corolla-class vehicles, equipped with seats for up to four passengers, making them a go-to for ferrying friends and family to destinations.
In a notice sent to customers earlier this week, Uber announced it was officially bidding farewell to the service to pave the way for a simpler, more tailored lineup.
“Whether you’re looking for an everyday budget saver or a bit of extra legroom, we’ve upgraded your options so you can ride exactly how you want to,” Uber said.
Starting next month, South Africans will have four options to choose from when booking a ride with Uber:
- Uber Go – A smaller car at a lower price, ideal for quick trips around town.
- Uber Comfort – Features newer cars with extra space and the option to request a quiet ride.
- Uber Black – Offers top-tier drivers and premium vehicles, along with extended wait times.
- Uber Reserve – Allows users to book trips up to 90 days in advance with guaranteed pricing and timely pickups.
MyBroadband noted that the South African e-hailing industry has increasingly focused on budget options to accommodate lower-income users in recent years.
However, driving-skills experts warn that the competition between companies like Uber and Bolt has led to a race to the bottom across various areas, including service standards and safety.
Uber, in particular, has faced criticism compared to its early years in the country when it quickly gained popularity among affluent and middle-class consumers.
The popularity of ride-sharing has also brought the industry under scrutiny from authorities—looking to tighten regulations on the sector—as well as from competing taxi services.
Scammers and fraudsters have also increasingly targeted users, prompting alerts and updates to safety features from platforms.
Fake Uber drivers on the rise in South Africa
Earlier this month, South African travellers using Uber to and from airports were warned to be cautious of fraudulent drivers posing as Uber representatives.
In an interview with Cape Talk, frequent traveller Johan van Schalkwyk reported that these individuals were cheating unsuspecting people out of thousands of rands.
“They are offering the services like they were an Uber to unsuspecting people. They are scamming them,” he said.
Van Schalkwyk added that there were several online groups in which tourists and travellers to South Africa had spoken about being scammed in this manner.
“The thing you read often is someone saying ‘my trip should have been R420, but I got to the hotel and connected to the Wi-Fi to see I’ve been charged R4,200,” he said.
However, he did not clarify how these fraudulent e-hailing drivers were able to impose higher charges.
Given that the victims had money deducted from their bank accounts, they likely shared their card information with the scammers.
Van Schalkwyk expressed significant concern about the audacity of the scammers’ methods. He mentioned that many airports had enhanced security and put up signs directing travellers to official e-hailing zones.
Despite this, Van Schalkwyk indicated that the problem persisted at night, suggesting that the security measures were only in effect during daytime hours.
He suggested that a possible solution was to formalise “good” taxi operators and give them a place where they can offer their services.
“Make it clear that this is an approved taxi pickup area. That improves the situation, and it gives those legit drivers a real place to make money and to do business,” Van Schalkwyk said.
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