Uber hits back at claims that it is pushing out drivers

Nefsa says UberX drivers will now earn less than before. Uber says it is planning to reduce or push out drivers as it cancels its UberX offering. The offering ended on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, as the e-hailing giant looks to simplify its products. This follows a warning from the National E-Hailing Federation of South Africa (Nefsa) that ending the offering could leave other drivers without work on the platform. Nefsa is an umbrella organisation representing ride-hailing drivers and operators across all nine provinces in South Africa. Jobs at risk? Nefsa spokesperson Tella Masakale told Newzroom Afrika that the organisation’s members were never consulted about the move. “We were never consulted. It came as a shock to all of us, like yourselves. So we honestly find Uber’s decision disappointing, to say the least.” He added that the e-hailing giant has to be honest with itself about its pricing, as it is “economically unsustainable”. “To be honest with you, we as Nefsa are aware that their categories are unsustainable, whether it’s Uber Go, UberX, Uber Comfort, Uber, Uber Black; they are all economically unsustainable. “What we are saying is we need constant transparent engagement with Uber in terms of their pricing dynamic model, as well as also these different categories that they keep bringing and switching without proper consultation because we have this consultation with the likes of Bolt.” Most drivers are for UberX Masakale has added that at least more than 60% of the drivers the organisation represents may not be able to migrate into another Uber category. “A lot of our operators, or let me rather say drivers, do not own their vehicles. We have only a very small number of older drivers and then also fleet owners, which is fewer than that, who have more than one vehicle,” he said. “Now, the majority of our members are rental users of these vehicles they rent from fleet owners, but you must understand that. For an individual to own their own vehicle, the business model needs to be sustainable, and in this current environment, it is not sustainable.” Not pushing drivers out An Uber spokesperson told The Citizen it is not looking to push drivers out; the decision to phase out UberX is to simplify offerings for customers. “The decision to retire UberX is a deliberate portfolio simplification designed to eliminate product overlap, clarify rider choices, and protect driver earnings across all vehicle tiers. Over time, overlap between categories created ambiguity for riders and diluted the premium distinction for drivers operating higher-spec vehicles. “Claims that drivers are being excluded or forced out of the network are factually incorrect. Existing UberX drivers already operate vehicles that meet the criteria for our streamlined options – primarily Uber Go for everyday trips and Uber Comfort for higher-tier rides. Drivers can transition to the product type their vehicle is eligible for.” Driver transition not easy However, Masakale said it is not easy for drivers to transition between categories as Uber has restrictions, which members have previously raised concerns about. One of “restrictions was the age restriction whereby initially the first thing when UberX was introduced was that the vehicle had to be at least above 2015. But now when they’re introduced in the past few years is that your vehicle can no longer be older than 5 years,” he said. “So in other words, if you have a vehicle that is 2020, it can’t be on the platform. That’s already a restriction. So now the thing is if you are now using an UberX vehicle and you want to transition to Uber Comfort, if your vehicle does not meet the criteria of comfort, you’re unable to operate in that category.” He highlighted that drivers who were on UberX, probably earning R70 for a 5Km trip, will now be limited to earning R50 for the same distance on UberGo because they do not meet the criteria for Uber Comfort. “So now that you’re basically earning half of what you used to earn.” The e-hailing giant said it “remains fully committed to supporting sustainable earning opportunities for driver-partners while delivering clear, transparent, and high-quality options for riders across South Africa”.