Drive.Ads expands to South Africa, reaching 2 billion impressions

Johannesburg – A year after its initial pilot, inDrive.Ads has achieved over two billion global impressions and expanded its reach to 25 countries, including South Africa.

This milestone is a result of inDrive integrating advertising into its business model, creating an additional revenue stream beyond ride commissions.

The achievement arrives seven months after inDrive.Ads debuted in South Africa in February 2026, allowing brands to engage consumers throughout various stages of their ride experience.

Simultaneously, South African advertisers are increasingly investing in digital channels. The IAB South Africa and PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report noted that local online ad revenue surged by 21.5% year-on-year to R17.7 billion in 2023.

South Africa is notable for the diverse array of categories represented in its advertising market.

Instead of being dominated by a single sector, demand spans a varied ecosystem, with banking brands like Standard Bank, FNB, and Capitec vying for consumer attention alongside major retail companies and a growing number of local small enterprises.

This broader market landscape is evident in inDrive.Ads’ local outcomes: according to inDrive’s data from January to August 2026 accessed via Google Ad Manager, the number of active advertisers more than doubled, increasing by 2.2 times, while the effective cost per mille (eCPM) nearly quadrupled, indicating heightened advertiser engagement and greater value assigned to South African digital assets.

“South African consumers invest a significant part of their daily routines on mobile devices, prompting brands to continually explore effective avenues for meaningful engagement,” stated Ashif Black, Country Representative for inDrive South Africa.

inDrive.Ads operates within a unique media landscape—termed Ride Media.

Rather than interrupting individuals during other activities, ads appear during naturally occurring moments: whether a rider is awaiting their transportation or a driver is waiting for their next passenger.

There is nothing to skip and no competing distractions—the advertisement seamlessly exists in a moment the rider is already experiencing, akin to a billboard on a street someone is already traversing.

Worldwide, inDrive.Ads has grown to encompass over 2,000 active advertisers monthly within its inaugural year and is now active in 25 markets across Latin America, EMEA, and APAC.

The platform has also rolled out an integrated consent management system, enhancing users’ control over their data and privacy preferences.

This is especially pertinent in South Africa, where the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) imposes obligations on organizations to ensure lawful and responsible management of personal data.

“The first year focused on establishing a solid advertising monetization foundation to enable our future growth,” remarked Max Silin, Director of inDrive.Ads.

“As inDrive transitions into a retail media ecosystem, we are advancing towards a model where advertisements enhance comprehensive, value-driven, user-centric experiences, integrating every interaction into the journey.”

Advertising that bolsters the broader inDrive model

inDrive.Ads links brands with inDrive’s extensive and highly engaged user base while generating an additional revenue source that allows the company to maintain driver commissions and rider fares among the most competitive in the industry.

This is particularly significant in South Africa, where transport affordability remains a critical consideration for both riders and drivers.

A segment of inDrive’s global advertising inventory is also earmarked for its social impact initiatives.

In the first half of 2026, this initiative delivered over 1.7 million impressions in support of projects such as Juntas Llegamos in Mexico, Colombia, and Peru, inVision University in Kazakhstan, and the Alternativa Film Festival in Colombia.

According to Black, the opportunity for South Africa lies in establishing an advertising model that delivers value for brands while supporting the broader economics of the mobility platform.

“South Africa is a market where both riders and drivers feel cost pressures quite acutely, so our growth strategy needs to be thoughtfully aligned with the local context,” Black noted.

“As inDrive.Ads develops in the local market, we can offer South African brands a novel approach to engage consumers during their daily travels.”

“For us, the challenge is to expand our advertising business while simultaneously preserving the affordability and low commissions that are vital to our users.”

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