Uber is cutting 3,300 jobs, 10 percent of its global workforce, as it exits key African markets in Nigeria and Uganda. Read more on Bandwidth Blog
Uber Technologies is cutting approximately 3,300 corporate jobs, roughly 10 percent of its global workforce, as part of a sweeping operational restructuring designed to flatten management hierarchies and concentrate capital on ride-hailing, delivery, and autonomous vehicles. The retrenchment slashes management roles by 20 percent and reduces overall headcount to under 30,000, returning staffing to levels last seen in 2021.
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In an internal memo, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi noted that years of rapid expansion created unnecessary management layers, fragmented ownership, and operational complexity. The reorganization roughly halves one- and two-person micro-teams, reduces the proportion of staff sitting more than seven management levels from the CEO by a fifth, and caps remote work at roughly 1 percent of the total workforce. Additionally, separate restaurant, retail, and white-label delivery units will be consolidated into a unified global, regional, and local operational structure.
Coinciding with the global workforce reduction, Uber officially ceased operations in Nigeria and Uganda on September 2, 2026, ending a 12-year presence in West Africa’s largest economy and a decade-long operation in Kampala. The dual exits mark Uber’s third and fourth market retreats in Africa within two years, following departures from Côte d’Ivoire in 2025 and Tanzania in early 2026. Uber’s remaining African footprint is now limited to six markets: South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco, Mauritius, and Egypt. Local support in Nigeria will remain available through September 23 to resolve outstanding account queries, with Uber attributing the withdrawal to broader market dynamics rather than local airport pickup regulations or competitive pressures from rivals like SafeBoda and Faras.
Unlike pandemic-era cutbacks, this restructuring comes during strong financial growth. Gross bookings surged 24 percent year-over-year to $58 billion in the quarter ending June 30, generated on $14.2 billion in revenue. Instead of responding to falling top-line demand, Uber is intentionally shifting resources away from lower-margin, price-sensitive regions facing high inflation and currency volatility. Capital is being redirected toward high-density markets and autonomous vehicle partnerships, backed by over $10 billion in commitments to autonomous ventures with Avride, Lucid, Nuro, and Rivian, as well as consolidation in delivery via its recent deal for Delivery Hero.
South Africa remains central to Uber’s regional strategy as its primary market on the continent. The company underscored its commitment earlier this year with a R5-billion, three-year investment pledge targeting electric vehicle fleet expansion, charging infrastructure, and earnings platform enhancements. Sub-Saharan Africa General Manager Deepesh Thomas indicated the investment aims to foster collaborative framework discussions with transport authorities. However, regulatory challenges remain unsettled; under the National Land Transport Amendment Act gazetted in late 2025, operating platforms were required to register with the National Public Transport Regulator. While competitor Bolt secured compliance by February, Uber missed its March 11 deadline and has yet to formally confirm its certification status.
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