Uber rival Taxify said on Tuesday that it has expanded its South African operations to include the coastal towns of Plettenberg Bay, George, Knysna and Mossel Bay.

The service will be launched in the Garden Route towns later this month, it said in statement. The move is timed to coincide with the annual influx of holidaymakers in December and January.

It follows the launch of Taxify in East London, Polokwane and Pietermaritzburg in the past two months.

Taxify will now operate in 13 cities and towns in five provinces

The ride-hailing service said in June 2018 that it had completed an investment round of US$175-million, and that it intended to use this investment to expand its services worldwide — and particularly across Africa.

Taxify started operations in South Africa in 2016, in Johannesburg. It will now operate in 13 cities and towns in five provinces. At an international level, South Africa will have more Taxify-serviced cities and towns than any other country in its global network, it said.

It said its drivers receive 85% of all fares paid by riders, higher than what’s offered by “similar platforms”, and this has allowed it to make inroads into the market. It said it plans to expand its footprint further in 2019.

As of December 2018, Taxify locations include Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Polokwane, East London, Pietermaritzburg, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, George and Mossel Bay. — © 2018 NewsCentral Media