US ride-hailing firm Uber Technologies has introduced a new service called “Courier Bakkie” in South Africa, designed for the delivery of heavier items weighing up to a ton. South Africa is the first market globally to launch this offering, which, if expanded to other markets, will likely have a different name that does not include the word “bakkie.”
“Johannesburg residents will be the first to access Courier Bakkies, with Cape Town and Durban to follow soon,” Uber announced in a statement on Thursday. “This new service not only broadens the range of options available to users but also provides additional earning opportunities for drivers.”
When users open the Uber app and set a destination, they will now see the Courier Bakkie option under the “rides” interface, the company explained. “The larger utility vehicles will assist small to medium-sized businesses that have frequent delivery needs and limited resources to move assets between branches or deliver heavier items to customers,” Uber added.
To support this new service, Uber has partnered with fleet companies, including SkyNet Worldwide Express, to offer on-demand bakkie services through the platform. Additionally, Uber is rebranding its “Uber Package” service as “Courier” to “better align with the growing range of transportation services made available to users by independent contractors via the Uber app.”
