Uber announces first SSA-wide vehicle access partnership with Moove

Mon, Jul 13, 2020
By publisher
5 MIN READ

Business

UBER has today announced a partnership with Moove, sub-Saharan Africa’s first flexible car ownership company, to provide potential and current Uber drivers in sub-Saharan Africa with long-term access to vehicles. The largest partnership of its kind, the collaboration aims to lower existing barriers to car ownership on the continent and empower drivers to be their own boss within a shorter time frame.

Moove’s partnership with Uber across sub-Saharan Africa will provide riders with access to newer car models when they request a ride. As part of an ongoing commitment to safety and particularly in the current fight against COVID-19, Moove cars are fitted with transparent and perspex partition screens to separate the driver from rear and passenger seat riders.

Director of Business Development in MEA, Justin Spratt says, “We are passionate about delivering better experiences for drivers and are therefore excited to partner with Moove to develop meaningful, customised solutions for drivers in sub-Saharan Africa. Through this partnership, drivers’ livelihoods will be meaningfully improved while enabling them to get into the driver’s seat when it comes to their own future.”

Nkechi Anyagwa, first Moove driver
Nkechi Anyagwa, first Moove driver

Speaking on the partnership, Managing Partner of Grace Lake Partners and Co-Founder of Moove, Ladi Delano, said: “The launch of Moove and our sub-Saharan Africa wide partnership with Uber will empower Uber drivers across the continent by providing them with a clear and affordable path to high-quality car ownership.”


Cost-effective car-ownership
The partnership with Moove introduces low-barrier entry methods into the Uber app by offering improved pricing models for car ownership through solutions such as flexible rental and drive-to-own options.

The multiple ownership methods are designed to suit drivers with diverse budgets and goals, ultimately reducing the risk of defaulted payments.

For instance, the flexi-rental option provides short-term vehicle access, that spans between one to four weeks, while drive-to-own options are available to drivers with 24, 36 and 48 month agreements respectively.

Support and safety 

In a bid to improve vehicle standards and safety across Africa, a number of safety enhancements

have been made to all Moove vehicles, which include improved geofencing and tracking, as well

as mandatory monthly car servicing and inspections at the service centre.

 

Critical support to drivers is also provided to ensure that the agreements on financing remain

feasible, while Uber offers drivers 24/7 in-app assistance on any issue or query experienced.

 

Opportunity and access 

According to the International Finance Corporation, IFC, “Inclusive, safe, and affordable

transportation is crucial for women. Without inclusive transportation, women are denied their

right to move freely in public spaces and are less likely to find good jobs. Women face barriers

both as passengers and transportation service providers, ranging from underrepresentation

across the sector to widespread safety and security concerns.”

While the transport industry has traditionally been male-dominated, Uber’s partnership with

Moove will ensure that 50% of drivers are women, empowering them whilst also providing peace

of mind when it comes to safety.

All Moove vehicles come with a standard safety tool kit, which includes perspex and transparent

partition screens between the driver and rider, while hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes will

be provided and a face mask/ covering must be worn at all times when on a trip.

 

This partnership is imperative for all in the transport industry, whether they are on the Uber platform

or not, as with the advanced technology and redesigned entry methods, the opportunity to become

an entrepreneur is now more accessible and affordable. It reaffirms Uber’s commitment to West

Africa and Africa as a whole, by providing enhanced earning potential and better mobility for all.

 

 

About Moove

Moove is a subsidiary of Grace Lake Partners (GLP). Like all GLP companies, Moove was founded on the principle of Creating Shared Value in Africa by providing solutions to socio-economic challenges whilst building a viable business. Moove seeks to solve three challenges: providing flexible employment by democratizing car ownership; providing convenient and accessible car ownership; supporting social mobility by significantly improving the quality of cars available to riders on the Uber platform across Africa. Learn more at: https://www.moove.africa/ and www.grace-lake.com

 

About Uber
Uber’s mission is to help people get a ride at the push of a button – everywhere and for everyone. We started in 2009 to solve a simple problem – how do you get a ride at the touch of a button? With over 10 billion trips later, we’ve started tackling an even greater challenge: reducing congestion and pollution in our cities by getting more people into fewer cars.

 

Uber is available in sixteen cities in Sub-Saharan Africa (Cape Town, Durban, Joburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, East London, Nairobi, Mombasa, Lagos, Abuja, Benin City, Abidjan Kampala, Accra, Kumasi and Dar es Salaam). Overall, the Uber network is available in over 10 000 cities in over 65 countries. To request a ride, users must download the free application for Android, iPhone, Blackberry 7, or register for Uber at www.uber.com/go. For questions visit www.uber.com

– Jul. 13, 2020 @ 19:39 GMT |

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