Uber and Bolt Could Soon Be Declared Illegal in South Africa
- E-hailing platforms face urgent registration deadlines under South Africa's new transport regulations
- Stricter rules require branding, transparency, and a dedicated licensing category for e-hailing services
- The regulations took effect immediately upon publication, and they provided a 180-day transition period for compliance
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Getty Images
E-hailing giants, including Uber and Bolt, risk breaching South Africa's new transport regulations within weeks, as none have yet secured full registration under the new regime.
Stricter requirements for platforms and drivers
The Department of Transport gazetted the long-awaited rules in September 2025, introducing stricter requirements for platforms and drivers. The regulations compel operators to brand vehicles, increase transparency around driver information, create a dedicated licensing category for e-hailing permits and install panic buttons in vehicles. A central requirement is that app-based platforms must register with the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR) before operating under the new system.
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Although the regulations took effect immediately upon publication, they provided a 180-day transition period for compliance. That window expires on 11 March 2026. With roughly one month remaining, no platform has been formally registered. According to a Department of Transport presentation cited by News24, the NPTR had received 10 registration applications from e-hailing platforms as of 6 February 2026. Two applications had been gazetted and marked ready for consideration. None had been finalised.
Third step in a seven-step process
Administrative delays and challenges in communicating application requirements appear to have slowed progress. NPTR documentation shows that gazetting an application is only the third step in a seven-step process. After publication, platforms must meet an adjudication committee, demonstrate their app's functionality, await a decision, obtain certification if approved and notify provincial regulators before registration is complete. In effect, the process is still far from conclusion for most applicants. Bolt submitted its application to the NPTR on 27 November 2025. The company's South Africa senior public policy lead, Fikile Nzuza-Chunga, confirmed that its submission has been gazetted and that it is awaiting an opportunity to present to the NPTR committee.
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Nzuza-Chunga said enforcement must be considered in light of transitional provisions and administrative realities. She stated that Bolt does not support punitive enforcement where regulatory processes are not yet fully operational and continues to engage authorities to ensure fair and practical implementation. She added that Bolt understands there will be a separate 180-day transition window for drivers to align their licences with the new requirements. According to the company, drivers cannot begin compliance procedures until the platforms they operate on have been registered.
An Uber spokesperson confirmed that the company has also applied for registration with the NPTR and has been engaging authorities to ensure compliance. The Department of Transport stated that it would be lenient to platforms that have issues with registration, and that the minister would make a decision to extend the registration.
Dashcam footage of e-hailing robbery shocks South Africa
Briefly News also reported that dashcam footage showing an e-hailing driver being attacked during a trip has sparked serious concern about passenger safety and crime.
The incident highlights the daily risks faced by drivers working long hours in South Africa’s gig economy.
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Source: Briefly News
