Bolt, one of Africa’s leading mobility platforms, has announced plans to invest €500 million in its operations on the continent over the next two years. The funds will be used to expand its services in Africa and create opportunities for over 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform in 2023.
Having launched in South Africa in 2016, the company now operates ride-hailing and delivery services in six further countries – Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania and Tunisia – with over 47 million customers and 900,000 drivers on the platform.
Bolt Business, the corporate travel arm, has also been introduced in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya, offering local businesses safe and affordable ways for their employees to travel.
The ride-hailing platform has also announced that it has surpassed 1 billion rides in Africa in just seven years of operations. It expects the number of drivers on the platform to hit over 1 million in the next six months.
Markus Villig, Founder and CEO, said: “Over the past seven years, we have built a strong team of 500 people in Africa and we remain committed to investing in local communities for the long term.”
At a time when many countries are facing economic challenges, we will continue to grow our presence in Africa through this new investment which offers massive potential to create new jobs and income opportunities for drivers and couriers.”
Markus Villig, Founder and CEO of Bolt
Markus made these remarks as he and the Bolt global leadership team landed in Africa. While there, they would engage with key government officials and visit its local teams in South Africa and Kenya.
Bolt’s continuous expansion in Africa
With over 100 million users across more than 45 countries and 400 cities in Europe and Africa, Bolt is a super-app that provides a variety of mobility goods for various services and purposes.
Bolt Food, which delivers prepared meals from restaurants; Bolt Market, a 15-minute grocery delivery service; Bolt Drive, a car rental service; and ride-hailing rentals (scooter and e-bike sharing) are a few of these services.
In Africa, the platform first launched in South Africa in 2016. Currently, it is active in 70 cities across the continent across seven nations: South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania, and Tunisia.
In 2021, the company introduced a new service which allowed female riders to choose a female driver for their journey. This new category increased safety for drivers and riders in South Africa and provided women with a way to explore new earnings opportunities. Following the success of the ‘women-only’ category in South Africa, it was also launched in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya.
Ireoluwa Obatoki- Regional Manager, West and North Africa, said: “While many companies are scaling back investments given the macroeconomic environment, we recognise the transformational effect platforms like Bolt can have in Africa.
We operate in markets where there are unique challenges, and by continuing to expand our services, we will offer people new opportunities to earn a good living by being a driver, as well as providing millions of customers with a safe, reliable and affordable way of moving around their city.”
Three of the logistics company’s major offerings, including groceries and food delivery, are in Africa. Additionally, Bolt Business’ corporate travel division customers are located in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tanzania, and Kenya.
According to figures made available by the company, it has over 47 million customers across the continent, 900,000 drivers and 500 employees across our seven African markets.
Read also: Bolt’s claim of offering the best mobility services in Nigeria raises questions about negligence
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