South Africans will soon have a choice of four e-hailing services following the launch of a new rider in the market.
Chinese company, DidiDrive, started its engines in Gqeberha on March 1 and will be available in Cape Town in the second half of this year.
The company said following its Gqeberha launch, more than 2 000 drivers in the city downloaded the DiDiDrivers app, enabling more than 20 000 local residents, who have already signed up with DiDi, get to where they need to be safely and affordably.
But Joburgers will have to wait a little longer. While a launch date for Joburg has not been set, the taxi is on the way.
Director of Communications, Felipe Contreras said although the company has plans to go national, all headlights are focussed on Cape Town.
“For now, we are in the middle of the driver registration process in the city and we are happy to confirm that the reception from driving partners has been very super strong, exceeding even our most optimistic expectations,” he said.
Despite the global presence of Uber, Taxify/Bolt and inDriver, DidiDrive said it has a plan to stand apart.
The company is already operational in Japan, Australia, Russia and several South American countries.
“Our business model is unique in that we believe in a collaborative vision, whereby we create a community that involves users, driving partners, companies and authorities. That is why DiDi focuses on boasting a wide range of safety features beneficial to users and driving partners.
“This includes facial recognition for drivers, SOS buttons for riders and drivers linked to the local police services, safety hotline available 24/7, preview information for riders and drivers, and safety training for drivers, among others,” said Contreras.
DidiDrive said it has achieved rapid success in all the countries where they’ve launched.
“We’re not here to disrupt but rather to integrate.
“We believe that there’s enough room for all key players in the e-hailing industry.
“One of the reasons that explains the success we have had in the different international markets where our platform is present is that DiDi – thanks to its vision of affordable and safe mobility – brings this technology to people who did not use it before, opening the market and democratising access to safe mobility, today especially when it is most needed,” he added.
Contreras stressed that one of their key aims is to ensure better earnings for drivers.
While they are still working on a fee structure, Gqeberha drivers who signed up were offered a 0% take rate for four weeks.
“We are the world’s leading mobility and local services platform.
“DiDi offers a full range of app based services in 15 international markets.
“This allows us to enter the market with an affordable, safe and high-level tool for driver-partners and users.
“Secondly, we believe that mobility should be accessible to everyone who needs to get from point A to point B.
“Likewise, it should promote the entrepreneurship of our driver-partners and provide them with better economic opportunities, all while making use of advanced safety technology and excellent customer service,” he said.
Drivers have three account types to choose from: Driver-Partner (car owner), which is what drivers will use if they have their own car, 2) Driver-Partner (no vehicle), which is what drivers can use if they require a car and 3) Fleet Owner, for drivers who want to register as a fleet partner.
“We started our DiDi journey in South Africa with our launch in Gqeberha, which did exceptionally well.
“With the Cape Town launch on our horizon, our goal is to do an even better job there.
“DiDi aims to leave a positive impact on each city in which our platform is available.
“Our long-term goal is to serve the entire country and the continent; wherever efficient mobility and access to economic opportunities are needed.
We're always looking at opportunities to help more people get to where they're going,”concluded Contreras.
And the name DidiDrive you ask, Didi Chuxing’s name translates to “Beep-beep! Mobility.”