E-hailing service providers have less than a month left to comply with South Africa’s new industry regulations, and so far now company has registered with the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR).
According to a report by News24, the Department of Transport recently disclosed that the NPTR had received 10 applications from e-hailing platforms.
Of this group, only two were marked as gazetted and ready for consideration, but none of the companies have been officially registered yet.
Ride-hailing services that fail to comply with the deadline three weeks from now, on 11 March 2026, will not be allowed to operate legally in South Africa.
An NPTR document also showed that an e-hailing service publishing a notice of its application in the Government Gazette is only the third of seven steps platforms must take to register.
Once this is done, the companies need to have a meeting with an adjudication committee, present a demonstration of their app, await a decision, and receive a certificate if and when they are approved.
Ride-hailing platforms are also required to inform all provincial regulatory entities before their registration can be completed.
Bear in mind that the application process was opened in September and that the two most advanced applications thus far are only on the third step, meaning it will likely still be a while before any of them are certified.
One of the platforms that is currently registering its business is Bolt, which submitted its application to the NPTR in November 2025.
The company has not revealed how far it has progressed with its application.
Uber stated that it has applied to the NPTR, but its registration status is also unknown.
Bolt told our sister publication MyBroadband that it approves of the formal regulation of the e-hailing industry, stating that the new rules are an important step towards improving driver and passenger safety and accountability across the nation’s various platforms.
“Bolt is fully committed to aligning with the regulatory framework and collaborating closely with all spheres of government and relevant stakeholders,” it said.
“We remain focused on safety, accountability, and the ongoing strengthening of our platform’s integrity.”
However, the company did not comment on whether it would be compliant with the new regulations by 11 March.
Similarly, Uber said that it approves of the new regulations and that it supports modern rules intended to improve safety and professionalism within the industry.
“We can confirm that Uber has submitted its application for registration as an e-hailing platform provider with the NPTR,” it said.
“Our focus remains on supporting a smooth and practical transition that protects both rider safety and driver livelihoods.”
“We are working closely with government and industry stakeholders to align on implementation processes, provide guidance to drivers, and help ensure that the new system is introduced in a way that is efficient, consistent, and sustainable.”
Uber said it is working with the relevant authorities to ensure compliance.
Mathetha Mokonyama, a leading official for the transport systems and operations impact area at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), recently spoke to 702, where he commented that compliance will require effort from both the e-hailing operators and the government.
“On both sides, there’s a lot of effort, resources required to be able to fully comply,” he said.
“The risk of non-compliance is very high because of these regulations. There are a lot of regulations that would require quite a bit of effort from the e-hailing platforms,” he said.
New requirements for e-hailing operators in South Africa
The Department of Transport gazetted amendments to the National Land Transport Act in September 2025, introducing new regulations and requirements for the e-hailing industry.
This was done in response to growing concerns about the quality and safety of these services in South Africa, which have become marred by issues like unroadworthy vehicles, poor driving, cancelled trips, and violent incidents directed at both drivers and riders.
One new requirement is that e-hailing drivers must now carry their respective platform’s branding on their cars for easier identification.
They must also install panic buttons in their vehicles to meet the new regulation’s safety requirements.
The department said that the panic buttons will help consumers to assist with crime detection and allow for rapid response times from law enforcement and tracking companies.
It also encouraged users to confirm that the driver and vehicle details match the details shown on the app before entering the car.
“Commuters are also required to ensure that the vehicle and driver are compliant,” it added.
“Drivers are required to have the requisite documents to be eligible for compliance.”
Another important amendment will introduce new driver jurisdiction rules where drivers will be required to carry licences under certain conditions, including where they are allowed to operate.
E-hailing operators may leave a jurisdiction if a rider’s trip requires it, but they are not allowed to pick up customers outside their jurisdiction.
This measure is being implemented in an attempt to address tensions between the e-hailing and taxi industry – the latter of which has repeatedly claimed that their business is being stolen by these companies.
Ride-hailing drivers who fail to comply with the regulations can face fines of up to R100,000 or a jail term of up to two years.
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