inDrive Restores 1% Commission in Johannesburg and Pretoria, Nigeria Gets ₦132m Reward Campaign

inDrive has restored a 1% commission offer in Johannesburg and Pretoria, allowing drivers in the two South African cities to keep 99% of each fare for three months. The programme runs from October 1 to December 31, 2026, and no Nigerian city is included. Nigerian drivers are offered a separate reward campaign worth more than ₦132 million in Lagos and Abuja.

What South African drivers get

Under the initiative, participating drivers in Johannesburg and Pretoria retain 99% of each fare before fuel, maintenance and other operating expenses. Other South African cities where inDrive operates, including Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and Gqeberha, are outside the announced offer.

Ashif Black, inDrive’s country representative in South Africa, said the company was responding to the immediate pressure that fuel increases place on drivers’ earnings. He explained that reducing the platform’s share would leave drivers with more money from completed trips as the cost of staying on the road increases.

Retaining 99% of a fare does not mean a 99% profit. Petrol, maintenance, insurance, vehicle financing and other expenses still come out of that amount. For illustration, a 1% commission on a hypothetical ₦10,000 trip would leave a driver with ₦9,900 before expenses. At a hypothetical 12% commission, the same trip would leave ₦8,800, according to TheCitizen. The ₦1,100 difference shows how platform deductions affect the money available for running costs and household needs. These figures illustrate the calculation; they are not an announcement of new Nigerian rates. For passengers, a commission cut also does not automatically guarantee cheaper journeys. The fare agreed for a trip remains a separate consideration.

Nigeria reward campaign

In Nigeria, inDrive has announced a separate reward campaign worth more than ₦132 million for drivers in Lagos and Abuja from October 5 to December 16, 2026. A company statement published by TheCable said the campaign offers 916 prizes, including two cars, four full-academic-year school fee awards, 40 smartphones, 40 televisions and 830 shopping vouchers.

Drivers qualify by reaching the platinum tier, with completed rides counting as entries. Six live-broadcast draws will determine prize winners, while the two cars will go to drivers completing the highest number of rides during the campaign. That programme rewards qualifying participation and performance. It does not extend South Africa’s 1% commission offer to Nigerian drivers.

Driver welfare concerns

Driver welfare remains a concern in Nigeria’s ride-hailing industry. In September, the Lagos chapter of the Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transporters of Nigeria challenged inDrive to demonstrate that its commitment to the country extended beyond expansion to drivers’ welfare.

The two initiatives address earnings differently. A commission reduction provides a direct saving on each eligible trip, while a reward campaign offers benefits to selected participants under stated conditions. For Nigerian drivers, the practical measure of support is what remains after completing a day’s work and settling expenses. The South African initiative shows how reducing platform deductions can help. Whether comparable relief reaches Nigeria will depend on a separate announcement covering local drivers, eligible cities and applicable terms.

Earlier, Uber began making one-off payments of ₦40,000 to eligible Nigerian drivers following its withdrawal from Nigeria and Uganda, but activity requirements and deductions mean some drivers are missing out or receiving less. The payments, described as a “goodwill gesture”, follow the company’s shutdown announcement on Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Uber had informed drivers that it would make a final payment without specifying the amount or when the money would arrive.