“Buses Had This Since 2009”: Cape Town Man’s Video Showing How Cashless Taxis Will Work Divides SA
A Cape Town man explained how the new cashless taxi payment system will work in a TikTok video posted by IOL News on 20 May 2026. CODETA is set to officially launch the cashless system on 1 June 2026, giving commuters two ways to pay their fare.
Source: Getty Images
Two ways to pay
Commuters can pay using a phone or a card. Those paying by phone will scan a QR code on the taxi door using the SAPAY app. The fare is processed automatically based on the set taxi route price. Card users hand their card directly to the driver. The driver scans the card on a payment device, and the fare is deducted. Commuters then take their seat.
According to reports, CODETA chairperson Nceba Enge confirmed the 1 June launch date. He said the system is designed to protect commuters travelling early in the morning and late at night. Kiosks will be set up at taxi ranks for commuters to purchase and load payment cards. Each taxi will have four payment stickers to keep boarding moving quickly.
Enge acknowledged that the early stages of the rollout may come with challenges. Some commuters have raised concerns about devices failing to scan cards properly. Others said they simply prefer paying with cash. Reactions online were mixed, with many South Africans pointing out that buses have used a card-based system since 2009.
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Watch the TikTok clip below:
More about SA taxis
- Taxi operators in Mahikeng handed over a memorandum of grievances to the North West provincial government against illegal operators and taxi ranks.
- South Africans reacted after updated long-distance taxi fares from Johannesburg and Pretoria went viral.
- The South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) expressed concern about the impact of the rising petrol prices on the taxi industry, as another fuel price increase looms on the horizon.
Source: Briefly News
