“Taxi Industry Is Watching”: Mzansi Reacts As Gautrain Prepares To Launch E-Hailing Service in SA

Gautrain is entering the e-hailing space with a new service set to launch in October 2026, giving Gauteng commuters another option beyond Uber and Bolt. The Gautrain Management Agency said the app will plug the first- and last-mile gaps that have long frustrated daily riders across the province.

According to reports, spokesperson Albi Modise confirmed the service, called Gau Express, will be woven into the existing Gautrain app. Riders will be able to book trips to and from stations without downloading yet another app. The agency says the goal is seamless, connected travel across the broader Gauteng public transport network.

Not everyone is sold on the idea

South Africans had plenty to say when the news broke, and not all of it was positive. Many riders pointed out that getting to a Gautrain station is already its own obstacle. One commuter said Uber drops you two blocks short of where you actually need to be.

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Others questioned the bigger picture entirely. Several people noted the real fix would be extending the Gautrain lines to more parts of Gauteng. Places like Soweto and Mamelodi remain off the grid while the agency rolls out app features.

The taxi industry also came up fast in the conversation. South Africans flagged that meter taxis operating near stations have their own rules about e-hailing, which could complicate the whole setup. The sentiment online was clear: the idea sounds good on paper, but the ground-level reality is messier than the press release lets on.

Watch the video below:

More about Gautrain

• A Gautrain commuter shared a video of Bosman Station at a standstill, and highlighted the frustrations of unreliable public transport.
• South Africa's trains are not known to be the best and the fact that a Gautrain was stuck mid-trip is not helping.
• The Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport said that the Gautrain system will continue to be operated by the private sector and the government.

Source: Briefly News