Uber Launches Digital Wallet in African Countries

Uber cash digital wallet is set to launch in Sub-saharan Africa through Uber’s partnership Flutterwave, a Nigerian-founded San Francisco-based fintech firm.

Uber users will be able to top up their digital wallets using various remittance partners that are active on Flutterwave’s pan African Network.

Flutterwave is a B2B payment gateway network that enables customers to tap its APIs and tailor payment applications to their preference.

According to Uber’s General Manager for Sub- Saharan Africa, Alon Lits, Uber cash will start going live this week until next week in South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Tanzania.

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“Depending on the country, you’ve got different top-up methods available. For example in Nigeria, you can use your Verve card or mobile money. In Kenya, you can use M-Pesa and EFT and in South Africa, you can top up with EFT,” Said Lits

The digital wallet will also accept transfers from Flutterwave’s Barter payment app that was launched with Visa last year.

Uber accepts cash and visa payments in Africa, which is considered to have one of the largest unbanked populations, but has made great strides with the availability of mobile money.

Uber cash could increase Uber’s use in the continent by boosting the option of sending funds to the digital wallet and therefore creating a seamless payment system with less friction.

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Uber riders in Kenya who have been using M-Pesa as their preferred payment option normally send cash directly to the driver’s phone number.

Little Cab was the first taxi hailing app in Kenya to operate with the M-Pesa wallet in place allowing users to top up and pay for their rides from the digital wallet.

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