Uber has ended operations in Nigeria and Uganda, reducing its operational presence on the African continent to just four countries. The sudden market closures coincide with a broader corporate restructuring that cuts about 3,300 corporate jobs, roughly 10% of the company’s global workforce, as the platform reallocates capital toward driverless vehicle technologies.
The move marks the end of a 12-year operational footprint in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, and a decade-long presence in Uganda. Following previous exits from Côte d’Ivoire in 2025 and Tanzania earlier this year, Uber’s footprint across Africa has effectively halved within two years. The platform now operates solely in South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Egypt.
Restructuring for Autonomous Fleets
Unlike previous retrenchments triggered by macroeconomic downturns or platform contraction, Uber’s latest shift comes during sustained financial expansion. In the quarter ending June 30, Uber posted gross bookings of $58 billion, a 24% year-on-year increase on quarterly revenue of $14.2 billion.
According to internal communications from Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi, the corporate restructuring aims to remove bureaucratic layers, reduce the number of internal micro-teams, and flatten reporting lines to refocus resources on three primary pillars: core ride-hailing, delivery logistics, and autonomous mobility.
The strategic trade-off reflects where the mobility giant intends to allocate its balance sheet. Uber has directed more than $10 billion toward autonomous vehicle (AV) partnerships, forging commercial and technical ties with players including Avride, Lucid, Nuro, and Rivian.
Deploying commercial autonomous vehicle networks is heavily capital-intensive, requiring high density, substantial passenger margins, and receptive regulatory regimes. Consequently, Uber is diverting resources away from price-sensitive regions with compressed platform margins to fund driverless deployment in higher-yield markets.
Emerging Market Pressures in Nigeria and Uganda
While corporate capital reallocation drove the timing, local macroeconomic volatility accelerated the operational decision.
In Nigeria, ride-hailing operators have struggled with severe fuel price inflation, persistent currency depreciation, and reduced disposable consumer income. Concurrently, regional competitors and local alternatives such as SafeBoda and Faras in Uganda have steadily captured market share by offering lower overheads and localization suited to price-conscious riders.
Uber stated that user and driver support channels in Nigeria will stay operational through September 23 to resolve pending account balances and queries, though the company did not disclose the number of drivers or riders affected by the closures.
South Africa Remains Core Despite Headwinds
Uber stressed that the closures do not signal a total withdrawal from the continent, emphasizing ongoing operations in its remaining four hubs.
South Africa remains the company’s anchor market in sub-Saharan Africa. Earlier this year, Uber pledged R5 billion in capital expenditure over three years at the South African Investment Conference, targeting electric vehicle (EV) fleet rollouts, charging hub infrastructure, and merchant tech upgrades.
Even so, regulatory compliance remains an active hurdle in the domestic market. Following the gazetting of the National Land Transport Amendment Act, transport platforms were given an 180-day window to secure platform operating licenses with the National Public Transport Regulator. While primary competitor Bolt secured its certificate ahead of the March deadline, Uber’s licensing status remains in administrative engagement with national transport authorities.
