By Nicolás Misculin
BUENOS AIRES, Aug 28 (Reuters) – Chinese ride-hailing company Didi Global expects to invest more than $200 million in Argentina this year to launch new services in smaller cities and develop safety technology, its country manager told Reuters.
The company is seeking to expand its business in Latin America, where it has a strong presence in Brazil and Mexico, but sees significant growth potential in Argentina, the region’s third-largest economy.
Didi plans to extend services including Didi Moto, which offers low-cost motorcycle rides, and “last-mile” transportation, which complements public transport journeys.
“Argentina today is one of Didi’s top priorities globally,” the company’s general manager in Argentina, Eduardo Coello, said in an interview.
The company expects the number of drivers using its app to increase 25% this year to more than 500,000, as it moves into more towns and cities in Argentina, where it already operates in more than 350 locations. Coello said driver numbers should rise by at least another 10% in 2027.
Didi invested $160 million in Argentina in 2025.
Rival Uber, which leads Argentina’s ride-hailing market, said in March it would invest $500 million in the country over the next three years, according to Economy Minister Luis Caputo.
Didi has completed about 130 million trips in Argentina in 2026, compared with the 3 billion trips it has accumulated over eight years in Mexico, according to company estimates.
As part of its local investment plan, Didi introduced safety upgrades in August through improvements to its mapping systems and AI models.
Didi has sought to extend its business beyond China in recent years. It reported a profit of $129 million in the second quarter, rebounding from a $177 million loss in the first quarter.
(Reporting by Nicolas Misculin. Editing by Lucinda Elliott and Rod Nickel)
