Uber Plans to Debut Autonomous Vehicles in Africa?
In the world of self-driving cars, Europe, the U.S., and parts of the Middle East are leading the way in establishing laws to govern these innovative vehicles. However, Africa is currently not part of Uber's autonomous ride expansion plans due to challenging road conditions, unclear road markings, poor infrastructure, and erratic driving behavior.
While Africa, including South Africa, is experiencing mobility innovation, the conditions on its roads present significant obstacles for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles. By contrast, markets like the Middle East have purpose-built infrastructure and regulatory support facilitating autonomous vehicle rollouts.
Uber's initial deployment plans focus on Asia and the Middle East, regions with better-prepared urban infrastructure and regulatory environments for autonomous vehicle testing and operation. For instance, Dubai aims for a large share of autonomous trips by 2030, making it an attractive destination for companies like Uber.
The lack of suitable infrastructure and regulatory readiness, along with difficult driving environments in Africa, lead Uber and its partners to focus autonomous ride expansion efforts on other global markets where conditions are more favorable for safe and scalable deployments.
However, this doesn't mean that Africa is completely left out of the self-driving car revolution. Nigerian-born vehicle financing company Moove has partnered with Waymo, Google's autonomous vehicle subsidiary, to manage a fleet of self-driving cars in Phoenix and, soon, Miami. This partnership signals that Africa's talent is contributing to the global self-driving narrative, but it's doing so far from home.
Uber, on the other hand, is focusing on strategic alliances, having entered partnerships with WeRide Inc., Pony.ai, and Beijing Momenta Technology Co. These partnerships hint at a future where Uber becomes the go-to platform for autonomous rides.
The news of Uber's autonomous ride expansion plans has buoyed investor confidence, with Uber's stock gaining 0.13% in pre-trading ahead of Friday's opening on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Electric vehicle startups like Spiro, Ampersand, and Moja Ride have also tested their early models on the African continent, indicating a potential future for self-driving cars in the region.
In South Africa, the government is spearheading regulatory discussions and open to pilot testing for autonomous vehicles, making it an interesting market to watch in the future.
[1] Source: TechCrunch, "Uber and Baidu announce robotaxi partnership, but Africa is left out", 2025 [2] Source: Gulf News, "Dubai aims for 25% of all trips to be autonomous by 2030", 2020 [3] Source: CNBC, "Uber's autonomous ride expansion plans focus on Asia and Middle East", 2025
- Despite Africa not being part of Uber's current autonomous ride expansion plans, partnerships like the one between Nigerian-based Moove and Waymo showcase African talent contributing to the global self-driving car revolution.
- While Uber focuses on strategic alliances with partners in Asia and the Middle East, discussions on autonomous vehicles are underway in South Africa, indicating a potential future for self-driving cars in the region.
