The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has identified the e-hailing industry as a priority sector in its ongoing campaign to bring the nation’s informal economy into the fiscus.
This was revealed by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana during a parliamentary Q&A, where he responded to questions from MK MP Khanyisile Litchfield-Tshabalala.
Godongwana explained that SARS was using transactional data to target e-hailing drivers, who earn an income operating on popular apps like Bolt, Uber, and inDrive.
“Current interventions include the use of third-party and transactional data to identify potentially unregistered or non-compliant operators,” he said.
He added that SARS is also using targeted compliance and enforcement campaigns, as well as taxpayer education initiatives directed at taxi and e-hailing participants.
“SARS uses risk assessments, available data, targeted interventions, and taxpayer education to improve registration, filing, and payment in the sector,” he said.
This comes after the government introduced new regulations to formalize the e-hailing industry to address public concerns about quality and safety.
In June 2026, the Department of Transport (DoT) formalised regulations for the sector, including new safety measures for passengers and drivers.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said her department was aware of emerging risks and incidents in South Africa’s e-hailing industry.
E-hailing drivers have been targeted by the minibus taxi industry, which argues that they are stealing taxi customers.
Drivers are also a common target for thieves and hijackers, leading to incidents where Uber and Bolt operators have been jumped by ‘customers’ on a job.
To address these concerns, the DoT has added new safety requirements for e-hailing operators, including trackers and panic buttons.
Taxi industry also a target for SARS
SARS is also taking aim at the taxi industry as part of its plan to broaden the nation’s tax base.
Godongwana explained that it is the National Treasury’s responsibility to set policy, while the South African Revenue Service (SARS) administers and enforces tax laws.
“SARS continues to broaden the tax base by improving registration, filing and payment, where tax compliance remains low,” he said.
“This includes the informal economy and the taxi industry. SARS is also working to detect and respond to illicit financial flows and other forms of non-compliance.”
He noted that the minibus taxi sector is a priority for SARS’s informal economy and compliance efforts.
“SARS uses risk assessments, available data, targeted interventions and taxpayer education to improve registration, filing and payment in the sector,” he said.
The revenue service is using intervention tactics to formalise the taxi industry, including the use of third-party and transactional data to identify potentially unregistered or non-compliant transporters.
Additionally, it is using targeted compliance and enforcement campaigns and taxpayer education initiatives directed at taxi operators.
Loading ...
