Didi Chuxing is a service that you’ll more likely come to know as DiDi as it broadens its reach into South Africa. The Chinese ride-hailing service has just opened for business in Cape Town, following a pilot launch in the city of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) earlier this month.
Get out of the lab, DiDi!
Like current entrants Uber and Bolt, DiDi aims to get you into cars that you summon via a smartphone app. The Gqueberha pilot, which launched in 1 March this year, saw more than 2,000 drivers sign up and more than 20,000 passengers make use of the service, according to the company. Those are positive numbers, considering the size of the city in comparison to larger cities where the service will be even more useful.
The company is touting some serious features for its users, including “…facial recognition for drivers, SOS buttons for riders and drivers linked to local police, 24/7 support via a dedicated safety hotline, preview information for riders and drivers, and safety training for drivers”.
DiDi is now available in fourteen countries, standing South Africa alongside the likes of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Panama, Russia, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina. Ecuador will be joining the fray in April this year.