In a move to expand its Go Anywhere package which already includes Uber Bubbles, Uber Boat in Greece and Uber Balloon, the company has announced the launch of a new service called Uber Safari. Yes, as the name aptly implies, it is Uber’s attempt at catering to the seasonal safari visitors in South Africa.
Scheduled to go live October 2nd, unlike your ride request where a driver picks up your request almost instantly, this service is to be booked at least 24hrs to 90 days ahead of schedule. To maintain the flavour of safari trips which is human company, Uber Safari allows up to 4 persons on a trip at a cost of $200 and must be 18yrs or older at the time of booking.
Source: Uber
What Does this Mean
We are witnessing an aggressive attempt by Uber to have a presence in the entire mobility/transportation, travel, leisure and lifestyle value chain. Honeymooners, fun seekers, digital nomads and naturally-adventurous persons now have more reasons to download and use the app. For the company, this externalizes its risk to competition as it builds out other services to remain profitable in a business with cutthroat rivalry and tiny margins. We would likely see other markets where the Uber service is available like Kenya, make efforts to develop and improve their wildlife to attract users of this new service.
