GRAB SOCIAL IMPACT REPORT 2019/2020
During the pandemic, we saw a community of strangers connected in more ways than they realise, through the good that they do. Every driver-, delivery- and merchant-partner, every health and essential service worker, and every Grab customer, who supported each other—we dedicate our efforts, and this report to you.
We knew we had to raise our efforts to support and protect our community. Using our platform and technology, we have made these commitments to play our part to help fight this crisis.
We have helped accelerate the digitalisation of small and traditional businesses, and stimulated the growth of the gig economy, thus creating new income opportunities for more Southeast Asians.
We’ve committed $40 million and launched
>100 initiatives
to support our partners through the pandemic
More delivery orders meant
more income opportunities for
115,000
new delivery-partners
>78,000
new merchant-partners joined Grab, opening up new opportunities for their business
We’ve taken proactive measures to ensure higher standards of hygiene and safety across our services, to help keep our partners and customers safe.
>2 million
face masks, sanitisers, and gloves were distributed to driver- and delivery-partners
Implemented hygiene protocols like
We saw people from all corners of our community rally together and use our platform as a way to show generosity and goodwill towards each other.
To thank their driver- and
delivery-partners, customers left
74% more tips
during COVID-19
>700,000 meals
were donated to Grab driver- and delivery-partners by kind-hearted customers
Leveraging on our reach and technology, we’ve supported governments across Southeast Asia to help solve the challenges of the pandemic together.
Supported distribution of
government financial aid for Grab driver- and delivery-partners and underprivileged households
Eased burden on healthcare systems by supporting
contact tracing effortsin the 8 countries we operate in
Behind the facts and numbers, it is the lives we impact that give us reason to double down on our efforts to help our community. Read some of the stories behind why we do what we do.
Jessyca helps her mother at their wet market stall. She began to worry when sales dropped by 40% during COVID-19, but GrabExpress helped to turn things around.
When Norfa took over her family’s fish business 2 years ago, she didn’t expect to hit a hurdle so soon. Watch how innovation helped keep her family’s legacy alive.
Lek isn’t one to give up easily. Living with a hearing impairment taught him ways to adapt. When his transport income reduced, he took it as just another challenge.
The tourism downturn affected millions, and one of them was Komsan, a former chef in a luxury hotel. Thankfully, he found an alternative income with Grab.
Age is but a number to Uncle Phan. At 65 years old, he’s happy that he can still earn a living and support his family. Watch how his youthful spirit kept him and others going.
Through our partners’ incomes and sales generated on the Grab platform, we contributed an estimated US$8.5 billion to Southeast Asia’s economy in the 12 months leading up to March 2020.
While we may have pivoted our efforts to help fight the effects of the pandemic, we continue to push forward on our long-term social impact commitments. Here are some highlights:
Every transaction on Grab has been vital in keeping our community going. A single food order could have helped a delivery-partner put food on the table, a restaurant owner and his staff stay open, and food suppliers could sustain their businesses too.
See how you’ve impacted our community, or read more about our efforts in supporting them.
G-02 Ground Floor, Block A,
Axis Business Campus,
No 13A &13B Jalan 225,
Section 51A, Petaling Jaya,
46100 Selangor.
From Toko Sembako Yenny, GrabExpress merchant-partner, Indonesia
From Toko Sembako Yenny, GrabExpress merchant-partner, Indonesia
Jessyca and her mother have been running a small stall in the market since 2004. They sell a range of daily food supplies such as oil, noodles, nuts, and herbs at the Pasar Poris Tangerang Wet Market.
When COVID-19 hit, many customers stopped going to wet markets altogether, causing their sales to drop by about 40%. At first, they tried setting up their own online deliveries, but without any employees, it was difficult for them to manage the delivery runs on their own, especially when they started to get orders from further locations.
That was when they decided to use GrabExpress. This way, they could complete more orders and reach even more customers. “Now our sales have doubled! We have a wider reach and we even get orders from out of town,” Jessyca said.
GrabFood delivery-partner, Thailand
GrabFood delivery-partner, Thailand
Lek has been a Grab driver-partner for 2 years now. Since he joined, he has been doing it all—getting people around with GrabBike, delivering things with GrabExpress, and bringing food to customers with GrabFood.
He may have a hearing impairment, but clearly, that has not slowed him down in any way. If anything, it taught him ways to adapt, and how to be resilient in the face of challenges.
When the roads started to empty during COVID-19, he began to receive less and less transport jobs. It was tough, but he was determined. He embraced the challenge and started to take on more GrabFood jobs.
Although Lek receives aid from the government, he is eager to drive and deliver with Grab so he can earn extra income to save money, as well as to support his family.
GrabFood delivery-partner, Thailand
GrabFood delivery-partner, Thailand
COVID-19 has dealt an unprecedented blow to the tourism industry, affecting the livelihoods of millions of workers. One of them was Komsan, an assistant chef in a luxury hotel based in the Srinakarin area.
As the number of tourists at the hotel plunged, he decided to sign up as a GrabFood delivery-partner to earn an alternative income. Soon after, the hotel ceased operations.
Komsan has viewed this change through an optimistic lens, calling it the perfect opportunity for him to embark on a fresh journey after his previous job. Aside from GrabFood deliveries, he now also picks up GrabExpress jobs. It can get tiring, having to shuttle between different locations, but Komsan finds it exciting. And mostly, he’s glad to get his income back on track.