Internet ride-sharing service DiDi has entered the SA market, with the transport platform launching in Gqeberha last week.
DiDi spokesperson Felipe Contreras said they had launched in the city to offer mobility and entrepreneurship to the residents of Gqeberha.
“We started our journey in SA in Gqeberha because we wanted to learn about mobility in the country; what makes it different from the other countries and regions where we serve millions of users,” Contreras said.
“We are the world’s leading mobility and local services platform, offering a full range of app-based services.
“This allows us to enter the Gqeberha market with a solid, reliable and high-level tool, both for driver partners and users.
“We believe mobility should be accessible to anyone who needs to get from point A to point B.”
The company offers a full range of app-based transportation options to more than 550-million users in Asia, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.
DiDi chose Gqeberha as the first city in SA to launch its platform.
Contreras said they had had a good reception in Gqeberha.
“We are very excited by the confidence that was expressed in our brand.
“Our challenge is to always provide excellent service to both users and driver partners and to maintain our high standards of safety, affordability, and attention to detail so that the DiDi experience in the city sets a new standard of excellence.”
Contreras said thousands of drivers were ready and online as of March 1 to start using the DiDi driver app.
“We believe that our launch has been an absolute success and exceeded even our most optimistic expectations.”
DiDi offers benefits for both drivers and passengers as part of its launch.
On sign-up, passengers will receive 50% off vouchers to be used on their first 10 rides, capped at R20 discount per ride.
On the first three Saturdays of March all passengers will ride for free, up to R30 per ride.
All these discounts and promotions for passengers won’t affect drivers’ earnings as DiDi will cover the full cost of those initiatives.
DiDi’s general manager for Africa, Lyn Ma, said the company believed that mobility should be accessible to everyone, in the safest way possible while promoting entrepreneurship and providing better economic opportunities.
“All this is achieved through our advanced safety technology and excellent customer service, both common points of contention in the South African consumer market.
“We are extremely proud of our business and what we can achieve with the Gqeberha community,” Ma said.
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