Little Cab Driver Experience: Honest Review After 6 Months

I remember the trip clearly.

It was a Tuesday morning. A corporate client from a Westlands office tower heading to JKIA. No fuss. No "I'm coming" texts while you wait for ten minutes. He was just there on time, polite, and knew exactly where he was going.

The ride was smooth. The Little Cab app was stable. The fare? Excellent.

I dropped him off, ended the trip, and saw the amount. I smiled.

This, I thought, is how ride-hailing is supposed to feel. Professional. Profitable. Simple.

For a few months, that was my story with Little Cab. It felt like I had found the hidden gem of the Nairobi ride-hailing scene.

But then, little things started happening. Oddities I couldn't explain.

A car category that changed overnight without warning. A trip discount that seemed to come directly from my cut. A rating that dipped for no reason I could pinpoint.

The big question started to form in my mind: Was Little Cab truly the profitable haven it appeared to be, or was it just another platform with its own set of hidden potholes?

The Good: Why I Was Excited About Little Cab

Let's start with the positives, because there are many.

When you first start with Little Cab, you notice the difference in the pay structure. The per-kilometer and per-minute rates are competitive.

They pay well.

They pay on time.

They pay without drama.

Every Friday, like clockwork, the payment lands. There’s no chasing. No wondering. In a business where cash flow is king, that reliability is a huge relief.

Their Kenyan roots also show. The support, both in-app and live, feels a little more connected to our reality on the ground. When you visit their offices, the security guards are professional, and you can find parking without a hassle. It's a small thing, but it shows a level of respect for drivers that isn't always there.

And the clients? Mostly corporate. This often means more professional riders, cleaner trips, and longer, more profitable runs, especially during peak hours. Driving in Nairobi traffic is frustrating, but seeing the minutes tick by on a Little Cab trip knowing you're being compensated fairly makes it bearable.

The Bad: Where the Cracks Start to Show

But no platform is perfect. My honeymoon phase with Little Cab started to end when the inconsistencies began.

The biggest shock was the random car downgrade.

One morning my Toyota Aqua was a ‘Comfort’ vehicle, eligible for higher fares. The next, it was listed as ‘Basic’ with no email, no notification, no explanation. I visited their office, but the conversation was vague. No one could review the car or give me a clear reason for the change.

Just like that, my earning potential was capped.

Then there are the discounts. Little Cab often runs promotions to attract riders, which is smart business. But it feels like the driver is the one funding the promotion. I took a ‘Comfort’ trip once and noticed the rate wasn't the expected KSh 50 per kilometer; it was KSh 42. The difference was small on one trip, but how many of those small cuts add up over a month?

This lack of transparency is the biggest issue. The rating system is a mystery. You can't see why your rating goes up or down, so you can't learn from feedback. And the withdrawal fees feel like a double-dip. They charge you a transaction fee for an early withdrawal, and then another when the money is sent. It's a small but constant drain.

Let's Put It All on the Table: Little Cab Pros vs. Cons

To make it simple, I’ve broken down my six-month experience into a clear table. Sometimes you just need to see it all laid out, side-by-side.

Forget the Hype. Let's Talk Actual Profit.

So, what's the final verdict? Is Little Cab worth it?

The answer isn't a simple yes or no. The real answer is: it depends on your numbers.

A high per-kilometer rate is useless if you're parked for hours waiting for a request. A professional client base doesn't pay your bills if their trips are infrequent. The only way to know for sure is to stop guessing and start tracking.

This is the shift in mindset that changed my business. I stopped being just a driver and started thinking like a CEO. The most powerful tool for a CEO is data.

When these questions about Little Cab's profitability started, I used the RiderPal app to get my answers. I made sure to log every single trip, tagging each one to its platform—Uber, Bolt, or Little Cab. I tracked every shilling spent on fuel, airtime, and lunch.

At the end of the month, I opened the Reports tab. The app showed me my total income from Little Cab, but more importantly, it showed me my profit margin. I could compare it directly to the profit margin from other apps. Were the higher rates on Little Cab making up for the fewer trips? Was my fuel consumption per shilling earned better or worse?

RiderPal gave me the clear, unbiased truth.

Before I had the app, I used a simple notebook. I'd write all my Little Cab income on the left page and all my daily expenses on the right. It's a basic method, but it's a start. You have to know your numbers. To truly understand your business, check out our guide on how to calculate your real profit per kilometer. For a detailed breakdown of all major platforms, our Uber vs. Bolt vs. Little Cab comparison is a must-read.

This data-driven approach is the only way to navigate the complex Kenyan ride-hailing market, which, according to reports from sources like Business Daily Africa, is constantly changing.

Conclusion

After six months, I still drive on Little Cab. But I do it with my eyes wide open.

It’s a valuable part of my weekly strategy, especially for those quality corporate trips. However, it is not a platform I can rely on exclusively due to the lower volume of requests and the transparency issues. It has potential, serious potential, but it requires you to be an active manager of your business.

Don't let any platform dictate your success. Whether it's Little Cab, Uber, or Bolt, they are just tools. You are the business owner. Your success is determined not by the app you use, but by how well you understand your own numbers.

The best app isn't the one that promises the most; it's the one you make the most profit with.

Ready to stop guessing and start knowing? Take control of your ride-hailing business today. Download the RiderPal app and see your real numbers for free.