DiDi tilts at Uber in the battle for SA’s roads
DiDi Chuxing offers safety and other features that will benefit drivers and passengers
A new ride-hailing contender has entered the SA market: DiDi Chuxing. Here’s how it compares with our existing favourites, Uber and Bolt.DiDi Chuxing is from China, where Uber and Bolt (formerly Taxify) also operate. Uber launched in 2009, Bolt (as Taxify) in 2013 and DiDi in 2012.DiDi has 15-million active drivers globally (a March figure). Uber has 4-million drivers and Bolt 1.5-million.DiDi was a major competitor to Uber in China until 2016, when it bought Uber’s Chinese operations for $35bn.In this market it seems quantity trumps quality. Uber, which started before DiDi, has not been profitable since its inception, while DiDi became profitable in the first quarter of this year, making $30m.Uber, on the other hand, keeps losing money. It has promised investors it will be profitable on an adjusted pre-tax earnings basis by the end of this year. It’s already been 12 years of promises, but the company is still hopeful.Uber was one of the most successful startups. By August 2018, it ...
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