South Africa’s National Taxi Council (SANTACO), together with its affiliate, the South African Meter Taxi & E-Hailing Association (SAMTEA), is preparing to introduce a fleet of electric-powered e-hailing vehicles in partnership with BYD, Bolt and Ctrack. The initiative aims to advance sustainable mobility, encourage technological innovation and create new opportunities within the country’s transport sector.
The planned rollout brings together organisations operating across different areas of the mobility industry. BYD will represent the electric vehicle manufacturing component, Bolt brings its ride-hailing platform, while Ctrack provides vehicle tracking and fleet management services. SANTACO and SAMTEA will represent the taxi and e-hailing sector in the collaboration.
The introduction of electric vehicles into South Africa’s e-hailing market could expand the transport options available to passengers while supporting the adoption of alternative vehicle technologies. The partnership also highlights how transport associations, mobility platforms and technology providers are working together to explore new approaches to passenger transport.
SANTACO has described the initiative as a milestone for South Africa’s mobility sector, pointing to its potential to support more sustainable transport and innovation. The project forms part of broader efforts to explore how electric mobility can contribute to changes in the way passenger transport services operate.
However, several details about the planned rollout remain undisclosed. The announcement did not specify the number of vehicles involved, the launch date, the cities where the fleet will operate or the operational arrangements between the participating organisations.
As the initiative moves towards launch, further details will be needed to establish the scale of the deployment and how the electric vehicles will be integrated into the country’s e-hailing services.
