Ride-Hailing company Yango says its Windhoek drivers earn an average of N$15 470 a week after commission, but drivers say their earnings are far lower.
This comes after Windhoek drivers last week complained about fares, penalties and a lack of driver protection.
Yango, however, says drivers’ earnings have increased by about 15.7% compared to last year, while their hourly earnings on the platform are 23% higher than those of other jobs in the same sector.
“In addition to trip fares, Yango offers subsidies and incentive programmes for partners and their drivers, providing additional support and opportunities to increase their earnings,” the company told The Namibian this week.
Yango said it increased fares by 5% in March to help drivers manage rising fuel and regulatory compliance costs.
It also introduced support measures, including covering temporary operating permit fees, temporarily waiving commissions for drivers who completed the compliance process and providing assistance with documentation and permit applications, it said.
Yango said its fares are calculated using a pickup component and charges per kilometre and per minute, with other factors such as traffic, demand, and vehicle availability potentially affecting the final price.
The company did not specify whether the reported weekly earnings account for drivers’ fuel, vehicle rental, maintenance and other operating expenses beyond the company’s commission.
James Amunyela, a Yango driver in Windhoek, disputes the company’s claims, saying his own earnings fall far below that figure.
“The highest I make in a week, when I drive from Monday to Sunday, is N$6 000 before deductions. After deductions, it comes down to around N$3 000,” he says.
He says his lowest weekly earnings could be about N$1 000.
Another driver, Werner Andima, also disagrees with Yango’s reported weekly earnings, saying it is difficult to make N$15 470 a week under current operating conditions with the price of fuel having increased.
“Maybe if you drive every day, Monday to Sunday, from 07h00 to 19h00, you might get close to that amount, but even then, it is not possible to make N$15 470 a week,” he says.
He says he typically earns between N$700 and N$800 a day, although his daily earnings can rise to about N$1 300 at month-end.
Andima says even if a driver earned N$1 300 a day for five days, the total would amount to N$6 500 a week.
He says increased fuel prices are making it harder for drivers to earn enough, even when working long hours.
Drivers last week protested against the platform’s policies, saying they put drivers at a disadvantage.
Driver David Shonyeka says they are struggling to earn enough through the application and feel their concerns are not treated with the same urgency as those raised by customers.
Warren Isaaks, who has been driving for Yango since 2024, has raised concerns about the difficulties drivers face when customers request pickups or drop-offs at locations where stopping is prohibited.
“The app is really biased. It’s very concentrated for the gain of the customer, but it’s against the driver,” he says.
Isaaks says he has accumulated N$2 500 in traffic fines over a year, including fines for using a telephone while driving and parking where he is not permitted to stop.
