Bolt expands into North Africa with Launch in Egypt offering incentives for riders and drivers

Ride-hailing company, Bolt, has extended its operations into Cairo, Egypt, a move that places it in direct competition with other transport service providers such as Uber and inDrive. The expansion signifies Bolt’s pursuit of a broader market footprint in North Africa, in sync with its strategic growth plan in Africa.

The launch in Cairo comes with an attractive promotion to entice riders — a half-off discount for a six-month duration is being offered, for which Bolt will foot the bill entirely. In a bid to attract and incentivize drivers, Bolt is also offering a reprieve from the standard 15% commission fee it typically charges.

The company has recently established operations in Zimbabwe and Botswana. These moves tie in with Bolt’s substantial financial commitment towards broadening its presence across Africa. Bolt’s investment plan entails dedicating €500 million (or approximately $542.8 million) to its growth efforts on the continent, signaling a strategic move to capture a larger market share and create job opportunities for over 300,000 potential drivers.

While Bolt typically imposes a commission of up to 15% on drivers who provide their service, exceptions are being made in Cairo. Drivers operating in the city get to keep the whole sum earned from a trip, as the platform will operate without any commission fees. In effect, drivers get to enjoy their earnings in full as Bolt shoulders the commission cost.

Upon the launch in Egypt, Bolt Egypt’s Country Manager, Haitham Mansour, articulated that competitive pricing is a deliberate strategy adopted by the company to stimulate demand.

“By maintaining our commissions significantly lower than that of our competitors, we make certain that our drivers can earn more, whilst simultaneously providing customers with alluring service fees,” conveyed Mansour.

The establishment of Bolt’s services in Egypt signifies the company’s 15th African market debut. The ride-hailing corporation initially began its operations in Africa in South Africa in 2016. Subsequently, Bolt has further broadened its presence, launching in various other African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Cameroon, Zambia, Tanzania, and Uganda.