Bolt enters Zimbabwe offering no driver commission for the first six months

Bolt has introduced its services in Harare, Zimbabwe. This is a unique venture that won’t see Bolt earn any commission from drivers for at least six months, mirroring the company’s same no-commission approach launched in Zambia. In places like Kenya, however, Bolt implements a standard 18% commission and no longer needs to collect booking fees.

Bolt’s move into Zimbabwe is their twelfth country launch, with the company initially launched in South Africa in 2016. Prior to this latest expansion, Bolt had run pilot programs in Zambia back in October 2023.

Bolt plans to kick off its Zimbabwe operations with a pilot test, bringing on 300 driver partners to start. Zimbabwe becomes the third southern Africa location where Bolt will provide ride-hailing services to businesses and individuals alike.

Laurent Koerge, Bolt’s Head of Expansion, said they were thrilled to be testing services in Zimbabwe. Their ambition is not just to provide drivers with higher earnings per ride, but also to foster high demand through competitive pricing. He noted that Bolt’s commission rates are notably lower than their competitors’.

In 2023, Bolt unveiled plans to dedicate over €500 million in investment in Africa, with one of the initiatives creating job opportunities for more than 300,000 driver partners. Bolt currently provides services in 45 countries worldwide to over 150 million customers, involving over 3 million drivers.

Safety has been a fundamental aspect of Bolt’s operation. The platform took action to suspend 10,000 drivers in Nigeria and Kenya in the latter half of 2023 to address safety concerns. The company has also introduced safety measures such as an SOS button, verification for riders and drivers, and a feature to report a driver who chooses to go offline during a trip.