Bolt is taking its e-hailing compliance programme to provinces across SA as operators continue to face challenges securing operating licences under the country’s new regulatory framework.
The e-hailing company held regulatory engagements with operators and transport authorities in the North West and Western Cape this month, focusing on licensing, safety, enforcement and relations between e-hailing operators and the minibus taxi industry.
Bolt said it was among the first e-hailing platforms to receive a Certificate of Registration from the National Public Transport Regulator in February, following the implementation of the National Land Transport Amendment Act, 2023, and the Second National Land Transport Regulations, 2025.
The Act, along with its amended regulations, was gazetted last September by the Department of Transport. It introduces e-hailing services as a recognised mode of public transport.
More than 150 operators attended Bolt’s North West E-Hailing Regulatory Engagement Session in Rustenburg on 18 August. The company also held a Western Cape Transport Dialogue in Cape Town on 21 August.
The Western Cape engagement resulted in a change to the operating-licence application process. Mark Skriker, director of licensing and adjudication at the Western Cape Mobility Department, committed to including e-hailing as a service option for applicants seeking new operating licences through the provincial government.
“Bolt was one of the first major platforms to register under the new regulatory framework, but leadership cannot end with our own compliance,” said Fikile Nzuza-Chunga, senior public policy manager at Bolt South Africa. “Operators must understand what the law requires, licensing processes must work in practice and the institutions responsible for implementation must remain accessible. Our provincial engagement programme is designed to help move the industry from regulation to implementation.”
Licensing backlog
In the North West, the Provincial Regulatory Entity said it was dealing with between 3 000 and 5 000 pending operating-licence applications across the province. The regulator said more frequent sittings would be needed to reduce the backlog and asked Bolt for information on the number of active operators in each municipality.
Bolt said it would provide the information and continue discussions with authorities about how applications should be handled while operators wait for their licences to be processed.
The Rustenburg session included representatives from the Provincial Regulatory Entity, the National Department of Transport, SANTACO, operator associations and e-hailing operators. Issues raised included operating-licence applications, association membership, panic buttons, vehicle branding and vehicles registered outside the province.
National Department of Transport representatives, including Advocate Lungile Mabece, who was involved in drafting the regulations, outlined the responsibilities of operators, platforms and regulators.
Rider verification
The North West discussions also raised questions about identity checks for drivers and riders.
Bolt said it is expanding rider identity verification across SA. The process requires riders to enter their South African ID number and take a selfie, with most checks completed automatically within minutes. Riders who cannot be verified automatically may be asked to provide an identity document for further checks.
Bolt said the system is supported by a verification partner and checks information against Department of Home Affairs records. Voluntary rider verification is already available nationwide.
“Drivers are required to meet strict identity, documentation and licensing standards. Strengthening rider verification helps close an important safety gap and supports greater accountability on both sides of the platform,” said Nzuza-Chunga. “Verification is not a complete solution on its own, but it is an important part of the wider safety system Bolt continues to build.”
Western Cape and taxi relations
The Western Cape dialogue brought together the provincial Mobility Department, the Provincial Regulatory Entity, Traffic Law Enforcement, the City of Cape Town Urban Mobility Directorate and the Western Cape E-Hailing Association. Discussions covered operating licences, safety, law-enforcement co-ordination and the role of e-hailing in first- and last-mile transport. Stakeholders also discussed creating a Public Transport Industry Working Group to deal with common problems, allocate responsibilities and track progress.
Relations between e-hailing operators and the minibus taxi industry featured in both provincial engagements. SANTACO reiterated its support for engagement with the e-hailing sector in the North West, while Western Cape stakeholders considered ways to improve communication and resolve disputes.
“No single form of transport can meet every passenger’s needs,” said Nzuza-Chunga. “A functioning transport system requires e-hailing, minibus taxis, buses and rail to complement one another. Bolt is creating platforms where difficult regulatory and operational challenges can be converted into practical action.”
Bolt plans to extend the engagement model to other provinces, with a continued focus on operator education, rider verification and workable licensing processes.
“The success of the new framework will be measured by whether operators can obtain licences, whether passengers and drivers are safer and whether different parts of the transport industry can work together,” Nzuza-Chunga concluded. “Bolt is committed to helping turn those outcomes into reality.”
Share
