Over the past decade, ride-hailing has become increasingly popular in urban centres in South Africa and Kenya, offering passengers a convenient and technology-driven solution for their transportation needs. It also offers income generating opportunities for thousands of drivers, many of whom were previously unemployed or underemployed.

The research focused on the impact of ride-hailing on drivers, detailing driver earnings and the key factors impacting these earnings. It aimed to better understand the socio-economic characteristics of drivers and the impact of ride-hailing on their lives. Additionally, the research aimed to highlight opportunities to improve driver earnings and experiences of ride-hailing through interventions by the ride-hailing company, other private and public sector partners and/or policy and regulatory reform.

The research findings were informed by the exploration of labour market data, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with drivers, analysis of the ride-hailing company’s internal data and an online survey sent to the ride-hailing drivers currently active on the platform.

The findings of the study provide insight into key challenges in the sector. It identified various solutions to address those challenges and improve the overall experience for both drivers and passengers in the sector.