Bolt: Our ride-hailing creates 1.5m jobs in Africa

Bolt: Our ride-hailing creates 1.5m jobs in Africa

Dar es Salaam. Ride-hailing service provider Bolt said it was proud of creating jobs for about 1.5 million drivers across Africa whereby the firm operates in 60 cities of seven countries.

The company started services in Tanzania in 2017, and has helped thousands of drivers, said Bolt’s country manager Remmy Eseka without disclosing the local figures.

“A large number of individuals, especially youth have found work in the transport business as taxi drivers or as riders of the bodaboda (motorcyles) and bajaji (tricycles) that have revolutionized transport within urban areas,” he said.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Tanzania unemployment level went down from 10.1 in 2015 to 9.6 in 2019.

Mr Eseka said there are people with higher levels of degree including masters who decided to employ themselves in the ride-hailing services.

“We are very excited to offer entrepreneurial opportunities that enable more people to earn a sustainable living. We are also happy to make it possible for more people in and around Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza and Dodoma to travel around efficiently and affordably,” he said as he congratulated the service providers.

Happiness John, popularly known as Dada Bajaji is one such youth who works as a tricycle rider in Dar es Salaam. She says her forays into the business resulted from an inability to get formal employment after graduating from a tertiary education institution.

“Ride-hailing has eliminated the guesswork in looking for passengers. There is no wasted mileage, no waiting aimlessly and alternative routes provided,” she says.