A six-year journey in Côte d’Ivoire has come to an end for Uber. The ride-hailing company, which made Abidjan its first entry point into West Africa in 2019, officially shut down its service on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
In a final message, the company confirmed its app would no longer be functional, admitting the decision could be “disappointing” for its user base. The exit leaves the field open for its two government-authorised competitors: France’s Heetch and the Dubai-headquartered Yango.
While Uber did not officially state the reasons for its departure, a combination of regulatory hurdles, high operational costs, and intense competition from rivals better attuned to local conditions is understood to be the cause. Its withdrawal underscores a persistent challenge for global tech giants in Africa: a standardised playbook rarely beats a localised strategy.
A failure to adapt
On the ground, sentiment suggests Uber’s model failed to resonate with the specific needs of drivers and passengers in Abidjan.
“They were too expensive. Too expensive and no car,” one former user commented.
Another local observer pointed to operational friction, particularly for drivers. “Yango has sucked the life out of the industry… Uber is not very attractive to drivers with their weekly payout system, when the driver has to pay their earnings daily.” This mismatch in payment cycles is a critical pain point in cash-flow-sensitive markets.
For years, the Ivorian ride-hailing sector has been a tense battleground, pitting digital platforms against traditional taxi operators who criticise a lack of regulation. Uber’s exit is a clear signal that even for an established global brand, market presence does not guarantee success.
Yango’s vertical integration play
While Uber’s departure creates a vacuum, its rival Yango is moving to fill it not just by capturing users, but by fundamentally changing its business model.
Earlier in September, Yango launched Yango Motors, a new venture that operates as an official distributor for Chinese car brands Bestune and Kaiyi in Côte d’Ivoire. The move is a direct attempt to solve one of the biggest bottlenecks for drivers: access to affordable and reliable vehicles.
By selling cars tailored for local road conditions and usage patterns — complete with financing partnerships with local banks and after-sales support — Yango is integrating itself deeper into the value chain. It’s a shift from being a software middleman to a full-stack mobility provider.
“Yango Motors is about more than vehicles — it is about making mobility easier, more accessible, and more sustainable,” said Kadotien Alassane Soro, Country Head at Yango Côte d’Ivoire. The company plans to extend the offering to the general public and eventually introduce electric models.
As Yango and Heetch compete for Uber’s former customers, the winner may not be the one with the slickest app, but the one that best solves the foundational, real-world problems of transportation in Abidjan.