Uber’s Frans Hiemstra takes over as regional general manager for Middle East And Africa

Uber has announced the appointment of Frans Hiemstra as the new regional general manager across the Middle East and Africa.

Hiemstra will lead the next phase of growth for Uber’s ride-sharing business across the region, spanning across 15 countries, overseeing the end-to-end business.

Based in Dubai, his role will focus on working closely with in-market teams to help identify areas of growth, lay down regional priorities, and drive operational excellence to fuel the Uber business.

Hiemstra has been with Uber since September 2015 and has taken on various roles over the years. His most recent role was as the company’s general manager of the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region, where he was responsible for the development and sustainable growth of the business in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Uganda, and Tanzania. As GM of SSA, he successfully navigated the business through the pandemic, accelerating growth and recovery since.

Prior to that, he took on the roles of operations and logistics manager, head of Expansion in SSA, country manager for South Africa, and has led driver operations in SSA for almost two years, spearheading driver engagement and creating new earning opportunities for them.

“We’ve made impressive strides over the last few years, and I’m honoured to be tasked with leading the Middle East and Africa region as we focus our efforts on growing our shared mobility business, committing to our sustainability goals, and creating more earnings opportunities for drivers and couriers who use the Uber app. I’m looking forward to progressing the great work that’s already happening and excited to advance Uber’s business across the region to ensure that people have better access to affordable and sustainable travel via Uber’s technology & products,” commented Hiemstra.

Prior to joining Uber, Hiemstra worked as a management consultant in the energy and resources, manufacturing, distribution and African Economic Development sectors. He is a Deloitte Alumni, a chartered accountant, and studied at the Stellenbosch University in South Africa.

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