The Covid-19 pandemic has brought many challenges and difficulties over the past two years.
For Lawrence Chetty, a father of three living in Johannesburg, the lockdown took a particularly hard toll on his business. He and his wife started their own construction contracting company, Mapalo Contractors, with the hope of building a better future.
“Everything was going well until the pandemic. We lost everything - there was no work at the construction site because of the lockdown, and people were not inviting us into their homes for home renovations,” said Chetty.
He put his construction business aside and got a job at DiDi - an international e-hailing company - in August 2021.
“Since I started working at DiDi my life has changed for the better. They gave my family our lives again. I'm doing great and I'm grateful for the opportunity they gave me,” added Chetty.
He said for him working at DiDi was the best thing that could have happened to him during the pandemic that cost the jobs of more than 2 million people in South Africa.
Chetty said Didi has given everyone a chance to move forward with assistance.
DiDi South Africa says it understands the challenges communities and the transportation industry face with the evolution of urban mobility (rideshare).
The e-hailing company explains that it is committed to creating the freedom and convenience to go places, open up horizons and give access to new experiences through its platforms.
DiDi says it exists to help South Africans move freely and to unlock their potential and that of the cities they live in. It offers one of the lowest commission rates (13%) among all e-hailing services in SA and most countries.
“I see my family owning about 10 vehicles that are on the road with DiDi,” says Chetty.
As South Africans grapple with the stress and uncertainty of the Covid fourth wave, DiDi is providing a glimmer of hope in a bid to put the festive spirit back into the season by bringing families together. It is running two festive giveaways for riders and drivers to spread festive cheer and give back to its community.
Twenty drivers will stand a chance to win food vouchers worth R1 000 each, and 20 riders will stand a chance to win travel vouchers to reunite with loved ones in South Africa.
“DiDi might be the newest player in the South African e-hailing game, but we are serious about paving the way through empowering the economy and the citizens of SA and giving back to the community, from riders to drivers,” said Carina Smith-Allin, Head of PR & Communication for the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
The festive giveaway has been running on IOL’s social media pages for a week now - attracting a wide range of entries from all over the country.
To enter DiDi’s festive giveaways competition and stand a chance to win, simply comment on the IOL Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages where you see the DiDi branding.
Don't forget to use #MakeItFestive and #DidiRiders / #DidiDrivers at the end of your comment.
Winners will be announced on Tuesday, December 21, 2021.