I have made a difficult decision to leave Uber after 7 years. Uber has been a large part of my life, and I have enjoyed every opportunity and challenge that has come our way. 

I consider myself lucky to have had this experience; to have been part of Uber’s first venture into Africa in Johannesburg in 2013, to have worked with our teams to rapidly expand Uber across 15 other cities in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) and to have launched a variety of new products across SSA.

We have also had the unique opportunity to make a positive impact on tens of thousands of driver partners and millions of riders across the cities where we operate. I have been privileged to be part of a company that has such a tangible impact on our cities and our communities. I know that our team will continue to build on this and continue to do what is right for our communities and cities.. Whilst Covid has presented an unprecedented challenge, we are already seeing the business recover from it’s lows and I am incredibly confident in our business’ ability to continue to scale and emerge stronger from the current environment.

Frans Hiemstra, who has been with Uber for almost 5 years, will move into a role of General Manager for SSA and is more than qualified and experienced to ensure Uber remains a leading brand across the region. Our journey in SSA is just getting started and I know Frans and our talented teams will continue to build like never before. 

Uber will always be part of me, and I have learnt so much from my colleagues, our riders, drivers and partners and I will take these experiences and learnings with me into the future. 

Thank you for everything, stay safe and Uber always. 

Alon Lits