Bolt introduced a subscription service in Kenya last week that costs KSh280 per month or KSh899 per year and bundles ride and delivery benefits.
Subscribers receive five to ten per cent cashback on rides, free delivery on eligible food and retail orders, priority driver access during peak periods and up to three free ride cancellations each month.
Uber rolled out a comparable Uber One service in Kenya in March 2025, priced at KSh280 a month or KSh2,800 annually, offering cashback on economy and premium rides and food orders, free delivery on orders above KSh600, waived service fees and member-only promotions, and the service is also available in South Africa.
Both companies say the subscriptions are intended to deepen relationships with frequent users by combining transport, food and retail deliveries into a paid membership, providing a more predictable revenue stream and encouraging customers to stay on a single platform.
Ivy Maingi, Bolt Food’s Kenya general manager, said “A subscription only works when the customer can see the value in it” and added that the firm examined the daily habits of its most frequent customers, who take rides, order food, buy groceries and change plans.
The launch occurs as Kenya’s digital commerce market expands, with supermarkets such as Quickmart, Carrefour and Naivas developing mobile apps, marketplaces like Jumia, Kilimall and Jiji normalising online transactions, and smaller sellers using TikTok, WhatsApp and Instagram while mobile money eases payments.
An Ipsos report placed Kenya’s gig economy at $1.03 billion (KSh168.97 billion) and 1.54 million gig workers as of June 2025, with e-commerce accounting for 42 per cent of activity, ride-hailing 20 per cent and freelancing 17 per cent.
Analysts note that the subscription model’s appeal depends on how often members use the benefits; frequent riders and shoppers may recoup the fee through cashback and waived charges, whereas occasional users could face an extra expense, and the value of priority driver access varies with driver availability and demand.
