South Africa’s richest province plans to launch Uber competitor
The Gauteng transport department intends to create an e-hailing app for which all stakeholders in the province will be responsible.
Speaking during a media briefing on Monday, 18 August 2025, Gauteng transport MEC Kedibone Diale-Tlabela said efforts are underway to enhance and create such a platform.
“There are various proposals for a solution on the table. It’s an opportunity for us to come up with a Gauteng e-hailing app, which all of us will be responsible for,” she said.
“We have assigned our team in Gautrain to help us enhance the idea and see how we take it forward.”
She highlighted the issue of safety surrounding the use of e-hailing platforms, which the Gauteng e-hailing app will aim to address.
“We know some apps are notorious for not being safe, and as a result, all of us have moved away from using those apps,” said Diale-Tlabela.
“At the end of the day, as government, we are held responsible. That’s why you see us saying: let’s work on our own e-hailing app, that you, as society and communities in Gauteng, can hold us responsible.”
She also called on the national Department of Transport to finalise its regulations surrounding the industry.
“We have a platform where we sit with all the operators, and we need the regulations to be finalised. We are self-determining as Gauteng on how we want to organise ourselves.”
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the amended National Land Transport Act into law in June 2024, enabling ride-hailing operators to apply for operating licences like any other public transport operator.
The signing came after a 13-year wait to amend the act to accommodate e-hailing services like Uber and Bolt. Former transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga said at the time that sector regulations would follow.
“Now that the President has signed the Amendment Bill, regulations will be submitted to the office of the State Law Advisor for certification and submitted to the minister for approval,” she said.
The changes mean that ride-hailing services are no longer required to use charter permits and meter taxi operating licences in South Africa.
“The NLTA now reflects our commitment to a modern, inclusive, and efficient transport system,” said Chikunga.
Violence as taxi operators clash with e-hailing drivers in Soweto
Diale-Tlabela’s statement comes after an e-hailing driver was killed and another and a passerby sustained gunshot wounds after vehicles were attacked by taxi drivers at Maponya Mall last week.
The deceased driver was shot, and four unidentified men torched his vehicle on Wednesday, 13 August 2025.
Gauteng police spokesperson Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed the attack, adding that the second driver and a passerby had been taken to the hospital to have their gunshot wounds treated.
He said the suspects were unknown and the attack’s motive remained unclear. The police opened a case of murder, attempted murder, and arson to investigate the violent attacks.
“The South African Police Service and Johannesburg metro police are on the scene to monitor the situation, which is suspected to be taxi violence-related,” he said.
Diale-Tlabela condemned the attack, describing it as senseless and unacceptable, adding that such violence will not be tolerated.
Community members shut down the Maponya Mall the day after the attack, and they planned to keep it from operating for seven days.
“We are not going to sleep. For seven days, there’s not going to be operation,” one person said.
He also called for better police presence, pointing to four police vans parked close to the mall and questioning why they weren’t there yesterday.
Loading ...