CITY DRIVE

What CITY DRIVE does

City Drive is a Zambian mobility solutions company founded in 2009 that delivers integrated car rental, taxi, and courier/delivery services across southern Africa. The company operates in three countries — Zambia, Namibia, and Mozambique — with a secondary domestic office in Solwezi, and supports cross-border rentals extending into Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Its service portfolio spans self-drive rentals across nine vehicle categories (from economy cars to luxury SUVs and buses), point-to-point taxi, and scheduled courier logistics, indicating a deliberately diversified mobility platform rather than a single-service rental operator.

The customer base is bifurcated between individual consumers (leisure and business travelers) and corporate/institutional clients. Named enterprise accounts include COMESA, Intercontinental Hotels, Taj Pamodzi, Protea Hotels, Chaminuka, and the South African High Commission — a concentration that skews toward hospitality and diplomatic segments. City Drive also runs partnerships with insurance providers for courtesy car replacement, embedding the business into the B2B2C claims flow. Daily rental pricing spans approximately $38–$130 depending on vehicle class.

With 28 employees, City Drive operates as a regional mid-sized mobility provider focused on southern Africa's underserved premium and cross-border mobility segment. Revenue mechanics combine per-day vehicle rentals, taxi fares, courier delivery fees, and contracted corporate and insurance-channel volume, with geographic diversification providing some insulation against single-market shocks.

Name

CITY DRIVE

Legal name

City Drive Rent A Car

Website

https://citydriverentacar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

City Drive is a Zambian mobility solutions company founded in 2009, providing car rental, taxi, and courier services across Zambia, Namibia, and Mozambique. It serves individual travelers, corporate clients, and insurance courtesy-car programs, including cross-border rentals into southern Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Car Rental Services

NAICS

Passenger Car Rental (532111)

SIC

Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)

akta.pro primary industry

Self-Drive Car Rental (THADAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local City / In-Town Car Rental (THADAAAC)

Keywords

• Car rental services
• Vehicle leasing
• Mobility solutions
• Courtesy car rental
• Taxi services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Car Rental Services: Primary revenue stream from short-term and long-term vehicle rentals. Vehicles are rented at daily rates varying by vehicle type (sedans, SUVs, mini buses). Customers pay upfront with 50% deposit required to confirm bookings. Pricing is available in both USD and Zambian Kwacha.
2. Courtesy Car Rental: Partnership-based courtesy vehicle services where insurance companies pay directly to City Drive for rental vehicles provided to their clients whose cars are in for repairs. This B2B2C model generates revenue through insurance company partnerships.
3. Taxi Services: Transportation services complementing car rentals for comprehensive mobility solutions.
4. Courier/Delivery Services: Logistics and delivery services expanding the mobility solutions portfolio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

City Drive is a Zambia-based mobility solutions company that provides short-term and long-term vehicle rentals, courtesy car rentals for insurance claimants, taxi services, and courier/delivery services. Its rental fleet spans compact sedans, SUVs, 4x4 vehicles, double cabs, and mini buses (8-30 seaters), with daily rates published in USD and Zambian Kwacha. Operations are conducted through branches in Zambia, Namibia, and Mozambique, with cross-border rental capability across the Southern African region.

Product overview

City Drive is a mobility solutions company offering a portfolio of transportation services including car rental (daily, monthly, and long-term), courtesy car rental (for insurance claims), taxi services, and courier/delivery services. The core offering centers on the Long & Short Term Car Rental service with a fleet of 9 vehicle types ranging from compact sedans to 26-30 seater mini buses. The company operates primarily in Zambia, Namibia, and Mozambique, serving both local customers and international visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Long & Short Term Car Rental Flexible vehicle rentals for days, months, or years at competitive rates. Includes unlimited mileage, 24/7 support, and full insurance coverage. Available in nine vehicle categories ranging from compact sedans to 30-seater mini buses, with pricing in USD and Zambian Kwacha, and a 50% deposit required to confirm bookings.
• Courtesy Car Rental Courtesy vehicle rental service for customers whose vehicles are in accidents, coordinated through insurance company partnerships. The insurance company arranges and directly pays for the rental vehicle, with a 10% discount available for customers whose policies do not include rental coverage (requires police report and insurance copy).
• Taxi Services On-demand taxi transportation service complementing the company's car rental offerings, providing comprehensive mobility solutions for customers across Zambia.
• Courier/Delivery Services Courier and delivery service for the transportation of goods and packages, expanding the company's mobility solutions portfolio beyond passenger transportation.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Various Insurance CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity Drive has established partnerships with multiple insurance companies to offer courtesy car rental services. When a customer's vehicle is involved in an accident, the insurance company arranges a courtesy vehicle from City Drive. The insurer directly pays City Drive for the rental, simplifying the process for the customer. This partnership requires customers to have courtesy rental coverage added to their insurance policy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Uber: Global ride-hailing platform operating in select African cities, including South Africa. Relevant to City Drive's complementary taxi service line and represents a competitive fringe for self-drive customers who might otherwise substitute towards on-demand chauffeur services.
• Sixt: Global car rental and mobility provider with growing presence in select African markets. Comparable to City Drive on short-term self-drive rentals, premium fleet categories, and corporate accounts, though its African footprint remains more limited than its European core.
• Avis: Global car rental incumbent with a long-standing presence across Africa, including Zambia. Overlaps with City Drive on self-drive passenger car rentals, fleet breadth, and corporate/hospitality accounts, but operates at much greater scale and across a wider portfolio of mobility services.
• Budget Rent a Car: International car rental brand present in Africa through licensee networks. Overlaps with City Drive on value-tier self-drive rentals, leisure and corporate customer segments, and airport-adjacent distribution.
• Thrifty Car Rental: International car rental brand with franchise operations in Africa. Directly comparable to City Drive on value-tier self-drive rentals, fleet size and vehicle category breadth, and the leisure/corporate split of customer demand.
• Europcar: International car rental group with active operations and franchise partners across Africa. Competes with City Drive on daily/short-term self-drive rentals, leisure and corporate segments, and cross-border European and African itineraries.
• Hertz: Major international car rental brand with licensees and corporate accounts across Southern Africa. Directly comparable to City Drive on self-drive passenger rentals, airport/city pickups, and long-term fleet leasing, but with a global brand and significantly larger fleet.

Regional players

• Impala Car Rental: Africa-focused car rental operator with branches in multiple SADC countries. Comparable to City Drive on regional self-drive rentals, cross-border capabilities, and 4x4/leisure-vehicle offerings targeted at safari and tourist flows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-drive-rent-a-car

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CITY DRIVE