US ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies has launched “Courier Bakkie” in South Africa, providing a new service for the delivery of heavier items weighing up to a ton.
South Africa is the first market worldwide to launch the offering – which, if it’s launched in other markets, presumably won’t have the word “bakkie” in its name.
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“Johannesburg residents will be the first to be able to request Courier Bakkies, with Cape Town and Durban to follow soon,” Uber said in a statement on Thursday. “Not only does this bring a wider selection of services to users, but it opens up additional earning avenues for drivers.”
When users open the Uber app and set a destination, they will now see the Courier Bakkie product under the “rides” interface, the company said.
“The larger utility vehicles will [help] small to medium-sized businesses that have frequent delivery needs and limited resources to move assets between branches or heavier items to customers,” it added.
Uber has also partnered with fleet companies, including SkyNet Worldwide Express, to provide on-demand bakkie services on the platform.
Read: Uber Safari launched in South Africa
At the same time, Uber is rebranding its “Uber Package” offering as “Courier” to “better align with the growing range of transportation services made available to users by independent contractors via the Uber app”. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
