The National E-Hailing Federation of South Africa warned that many of its members will see their earnings halved when Uber shuts down UberX.
The National E-Hailing Federation of South Africa (NEFSA) has warned that Uber’s decision to cut UberX in September 2026 will leave many operators unable to work for the company anymore.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, NEFSA spokesperson Tella Masakale said Uber hadn’t consulted its members about the change and that it was a unilateral decision from the ride-hailing platform.
“We were never consulted. It came as a shock to all of us. So, we honestly find the unilateral decision by Uber to be disappointing to say the least,” Masakale said.
The federation has estimated that more than 60% of the drivers it represents won’t be able to migrate to another category on the Uber platform.
“It could even be more than that. Those are just estimated numbers that we have; we’re still conducting research,” Masakale said.
He explained that many of NEFSA’s members don’t own their own vehicles. They rent from fleet owners such as Valternative, Move, Easy Drive, and other companies.
“In order for an individual to own their own vehicle, the business model needs to be sustainable. In this current environment, it is not sustainable,” Masakale said.
He added that in the current environment, many drivers were barely able to cover their rental fees, let alone meet financing obligations if they were to finance a vehicle.
“We, as NEFSA, are aware that their categories are unsustainable. Whether it’s Uber Go, UberX, Uber Comfort, Uber Black, they are all economically unsustainable,” Masakale said.
He added that NEFSA wanted consistent and transparent engagement with Uber regarding its dynamic price model, as the federation has had with competitors like Bolt.
He explained that Uber has a lot of restrictions regarding the drivers and vehicles that can operate on its platform.
“In the past few years, they introduced the requirement that your vehicle can no longer be older than 5 years,” Masakale said.
“In other words, if you have a vehicle that is from 2020, it can’t be on the platform. People have invested a lot who now can’t use their vehicles.”
Masakale said many vehicle purchases were made specifically for UberX, which caters for entry-level sedans and hatchbacks.
“Then comes Comfort. Uber Comfort is more of the upper-class, high-end sedan vehicles, such as the Hyundai Sonatas and upper models,” Masakale said.
“So no, if you have an UberX vehicle and you want to transition to Comfort, if your vehicle doesn’t meet the criteria for Comfort, you are unable to operate.”
To qualify for the Uber Comfort category, a vehicle must be 5 years old or newer and feature ABS and passenger and driver airbags.
Masakale explained that many former UberX vehicles would be limited to the lowest-tier UberGo category, where they earn significantly less per trip.
UberGo requires 4-door sedans or hatchbacks that are 12 years old or newer. This means that the oldest eligible models are from 2014.
“You are basically earning half of what you used to earn with the same vehicle, the same distance,” Masakale added.
Uber notified South African customers of its plan to shutter its flagship product, UberX, in mid-August, saying it would end the service in September 2026.
The company said it was officially saying goodbye to its “trusty go-to” offering to allow for a simpler, more tailored offering.
“Whether you’re looking for an everyday budget saver or a bit of extra legroom, we’ve upgraded your options so you can ride exactly how you want to,” Uber said.
This will allow users and operators to choose from or offer Uber Go, Uber Comfort, Uber Black, and Uber Reserve.
