How My Venture Into Uber Business Failed

almost 2 years ago

I had my 15 years stay in South Africa summarized and why I am leaving in about five weeks here.
In that post, I mentioned venturing into Uber business which turned out to be a nightmare, and promised to write about it in detail. So here it is and I hope we all learn a thing or two from my experience.

Before the Uber business, I was importing Brazilian hair from China and was doing fairly okay with it, I would deliver to clients on weekends and use a courier to deliver to clients in other provinces since I was employed full-time.

My full-time job came to an end due to the company closing down. So while I seeking employment, I also had to up my hair sales business but I was buying and selling on a small scale.

Venturing Into Uber

The Uber business was appealing to me the moment it became available in South Africa but I couldn't get a car on loan being a foreigner and I don't have the funds to buy a car. So I watched as Uber thrived in the country wishing to tap into the business but couldn't.

I had a friend (Lucy) and Ethiopian by origin but had nationalized in South Africa she was into the Uber business. Just to digress she works in the bank and is involved in cryptocurrency, when I asked her isn't her job at risk for being involved in cryptocurrency her response was;

even my top bosses are accumulating Bitcoin.

So Lucy shared her source of getting rent-to-own cars with me, the company was open to foreign nationals getting rent-to-own cars provided they have valid work permits and employment payslips. I had those at that time so it qualified me to get the car.

Though with this car dealership, the installment was high at $145 payment per week for five years. I was troubled by getting into such debt but Lucy's progress of getting two cars that were doing okay encouraged me I can also do it. But deep down I was troubled every step of the way and that was the hunch that I ignored.

To get the car I had to pay $1166 which I paid at the expense of my hair business and the plan was to get back into the hair sales and combine it with the Uber business considering I pick up ladies, I can always share hair samples with them.

My Experience As A Uber Driver

The plan was to drive the car myself after work because I had gotten another job with a Telecom company on the contract. So after work I don't come home I hit the road, get a few Uber trips done, and only get back home around 9 to 10pm daily. Now that was slavery! That wasn't my plan!

I did this for over a month and it took a lot out of me, weekends am never at home. And by the way, I hate driving!

Hiring A Uber Driver

So I decided to get a driver, I went through the usual process with Lucy's guidance. You either get a driver you know or get one from a Facebook group that I joined.
I put a post in the group that I am looking for a driver within my neighborhood.

I got quite a lot of drivers that contacted me but I opted for the one closest to me and he "stays" blocks away from Wits university which is a good catchment area for Uber.

We met and I was impressed at his punctuality, I interviewed him, and he claimed to be the breadwinner, etc.

When it comes to getting Uber drivers in SA, there is not much one can do in terms of a contract. It is more of a mutual agreement with the driver giving you a copy of his ID, knowing where he stays with an affidavit.

I asked him t take me to his house, and he claimed he stays with his sister so I gave him the car to drive to observe driving and went to his place of residence.

Upon arrival at his place, there was a white guy at the gate watering the garden, we pulled up in front of the gate and he greeted the guy and I greeted him as well.

He told the guy, he just got this car from me and he will be my Uber driver and the guy responded with congrats. And he told me his sister isn't back at work yet so that was okay with me knowing where he stays.

He was to pay himself and make sure he pays me $146 weekly being the standard rate and for me, it all goes toward paying for the car so there's no profit. I was beginning to feel the loss.

We drove back to my place and had a final agreement, I even had my caretaker lady stand in as my wife so he knows there was a South African involved and not dealing with me alone being a foreigner. Also, I offered to give him a commission for each lady he shares my hair business with that buys hair when I do get back selling hair again.

We agreed I he should bring the car to me weekly for inspection. I gave him the car on a Tuesday. I checked on him almost daily via phone calls.
On Saturday I received the below text message from him,

I am at Springs police station bail is R1000 ($58)

That was less than a week after hiring him and I was broke, the whole car thing got me broke.

I tried calling him but it goes to voicemail. I called the police station and asked if someone of his name is in their custody they confirmed it and I was told he was arrested for drunk and driving.
I told the police am coming to fetch my car, they can keep him they insisted I have to bail him out.

It was late and I just ignore the drama for the next day, come Sunday I had my ex-colleague pick me we went to my Uber driver's "house" so I can get the "sister" involved.

The Shocker

After hooting at the gate the same white guy I saw when he showed me the place attended to me, I asked that I want to see the sister of the driver (I can't recall his name that's how much of a nightmare he was to me).
I was let in and a lady came out and listened to me, and her response was,

he is not my brother he was working on my car and I stayed here a few days to get the car done so I can't help you with the matter.

Without wasting time my friend and I went to the police station, I saw the car the moment I entered the yard. They refused to give me the car, insisting I had to bail him out, I explained I can't give someone a job and come bail him for getting arrested for drunk driving.

The Metro cops eventually saw reason and wanted some paper from the driver which he must be having with him so they allowed him to go to him his cell. That was the first time I had to visit a cell and freedom meant a lot to me at that moment, for him, I was looking at a criminal, and all he had to tell me was

Joe, don't bail me I will be out for free tomorrow

and he said he doesn't have the paper of arrest am supposed to get from him.

After another back-and-forth, I was eventually given the car and upon getting into the car tears almost dropped out of my eyes due to the state of the car, a new car for that matter.

At the driver's seat was a pull of alcohol with beer and a bottle of Jonnie Walker. The passenger seat floor was bottles of alcohol and in the cubby hole was a box of condoms.

The back seat was messed with McDonald's leftovers, and in the boot of the car was his wardrobe with his clothes.

The car was low on petrol my friend helped me with $5 for petrol to get the car home, it was a filthy car.

I got home and it took over 2 hours to get the inside clean but the alcohol smell was still present while cleaning the car I realized he fiddled with the car's tracker. He was on a mission!

Joe Back On The Road

I was now behind with payment, I had to pay the car's installment twice from my salary. I hit the road immediately after cleaning the car.

About 2 weeks later I gave up on the business, I worked with the car for 2 weeks and refused to pay the installment just to get some cash back from the loss.
I was on a work-related Ericsson training when the car dealership company came to repossess the car. It was heartbreaking that I lost but I was expecting the repossession to happen anytime.

A few days after, the driver I hired came to my place to collect his clothes and ID he left in the car. And guess what? He got another victim already, he was driving a VW Polo.

This happened in 2019.

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