“Don’t Let Taxi Drivers See You”: E-hailing Wheelbarrow Goes Viral As Locals React to Fuel Hike
- A local comedian shared a hilarious "Uber" alternative to travel ahead of today's fuel price hike, sparking joy and laughter online
- The viral Facebook video showed a man hitchhiking in a wheelbarrow, poking fun at the record-breaking increase in petrol and diesel prices
- Social media users were greatly entertained by the man's wit, praising South Africans for their ability to make light of tough situations
- Briefly News spoke with Jonathan Masanda, an e-hailing driver with many years of experience working as an e-hailing driver
Source: Facebook
A humorous creator entertained the masses with a hilarious e-hailing alternative, seeing that the fuel price was due for an increase today.
The clip went viral after it was shared on Facebook by Themba-Robin on 31 March 2026, leaving many social media users in stitches.
The man is standing by the side of the road when a wheelbarrow driven by the comedian creator stops in front of him, with Uber written on the side. He humorously checks the front as if ensuring the ride's registration plate.
The e-hailing wheelbarrow
Once satisfied, the man in Facebook user Themba-Robin's video climbs in. He then rests comfortably, as the driver picks up the handles and drives off with him. The funny creator captioned the post humorously, noting that the petrol price hike has everyone doing what they need to do to get by.
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Watch the Facebook reel below:
E-hailing drivers react to viral wheelbarrow taxi trend
After seeing the video of a man using a wheelbarrow to beat the fuel price, we at Briefly News asked e-hailing veteran Jonathan for his take.
Since being in the e-hailing industry for nearly a decade, we asked the man how these constant fuel hikes affect his daily take-home pay. He said:
“It is getting harder every month. Most of what we earn goes straight back into the tank. After the app takes its commission and we pay for petrol, there is very little left for us. We are working longer hours just to make the same money we made two years ago.”
When asked if he thinks people are going to look at cheaper ways to move around. He responded:
“I definitely think so. As it is, some of my regular clients have opted for lift clubs with people they work with. If more people end up doing that, that will mean less business for us, e-hailing drivers. If fuel keeps going up, the whole transport industry is going to be in big trouble.”
SA loves the wheelbarrow idea
The clip gained traction with over 300 social media users expressing their amusement, despite the stress of the fuel hike. Many viewers were reminded of the rickshaws that were found by the beach in Durban and called for them to be used as transport. Some said there was no excuse for unemployment, noting that there were many things people could get up to to make money. Others said that taxi drivers should not see the wheelbarrow e-hailing service, joking that they would get them off the road. One user humorously said they now would have to take insurance on their wheelbarrows and get them on the road.
Source: Facebook
User @Jacki McInnes said:
"Humour in the face of the endless challenges chucked at us every day, Saffas. Nice one!"
User @Sarah Newman added:
"Brilliant. One of the best fuel cost alternatives."
User @Lerato Thando Kgalalelo joked:
"Don’t let taxi drivers see you
User @Lynn Hagglund added:
"Bring back the Rickshaws they used to have in Durban! Loved them when I was so much younger! Would be an amazing tourist attraction!
User @Joseph Frieslaar joked:
"Now we need to take insurance out on our wheelbarrows."
User @Desre Steyn Kruger asked:
"We really are a special bunch. Is there any other country whose people joke about the bad stuff?"
3 Brefly News articles about e-hailing drivers
- A video of an e-hailing driver arguing with a client over an R70 payment amount caught the attention of many social media users.
- An e-hailing driver recorded a woman climbing the gate out of her boyfriend's complex after requesting him online, sparking an online debate.
- A video shared by a TikTok user showed an e-hailing driver rejecting an R3 payment from a passenger who received a promotion deal.
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Source: Briefly News
