Uber users across South Africa are reporting problems with the e-hailing app.
UPDATE: Shortly after we published this article, we ran tests on the Uber app, and after several attempts, we were able to successfully book a trip. It seems all systems are back online at Uber. Albeit, a statement from the e-hailer on the cause of the outage has yet to surface.
Uber app outage: Here’s what we can confirm
Passengers trying to request a trip are running into the same problem — the app allows them to enter their pick-up and drop-off locations and select the type of ride they want, but the trip is never confirmed.
After trying to request a trip, the app loads for a while before displaying the error message: “Oops, we have trouble completing your request.”
This has left many people stuck, especially in busy areas where ride-hailing is often the only quick way to get home, to work, or to appointments.
The issue appears to be affecting users countrywide, but so far, Uber South Africa has not released any statement confirming what has gone wrong or when the problem will be fixed.
Reports of the problem have also shown up on Down Detector, a website that monitors app and website outages.
Several users have submitted complaints about Uber not working properly, especially around trip confirmation.
What could be causing the problem?
Although Uber hasn’t given an official reason for the app issues yet, technical problems like these are often related to server or system failures.
In simple terms, servers are the computers that power apps like Uber.
If something goes wrong with these systems—such as bugs, software updates, or overloaded servers—the app can stop working properly.
Sometimes these issues are local (affecting just one country or city), and other times they are global.
At this stage, we can’t confirm if this is a global outage or just a problem limited to South Africa.
