The most consequential decision in e-hailing is not which platform to join — it is whether to own the vehicle, rent it, or drive someone else’s. Those three arrangements produce completely different economics and completely different risks.
This page sets out the requirements and then compares the three, because most drivers choose without understanding what they are choosing.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
What driving for an e-hailing platform generally requires.
- A valid South African driver’s licence, held for the period the platform requires
- A valid professional driving permit (PrDP) for carrying passengers for reward
- A police clearance certificate, where the platform requires it
- The right to work in South Africa — citizenship, permanent residence or a valid permit
- A vehicle with a valid operating licence or authorisation under the National Land Transport Act
- A vehicle meeting the platform’s year model, type and condition requirements
- Comprehensive insurance covering commercial e-hailing use
- A smartphone and a bank account in your own name
Licence and Eligibility Requirements
Owning the vehicle means you carry the finance instalment, insurance, maintenance, tyres and depreciation, and you keep everything after the platform’s commission. It is the highest return and the highest risk: a major mechanical failure or an accident stops your income and leaves the instalment running.
Renting means a fixed weekly payment to an owner or a fleet, usually including maintenance and sometimes insurance, and you keep the rest. The weekly payment is due whether you drive or not, which means illness, a breakdown or a slow week comes out of your own pocket. Ask precisely what the payment covers and what happens when the vehicle is off the road.
Driving someone else’s vehicle on their account is unlawful and unsafe. You are unidentified to the platform and to passengers, the insurance position is void, and you have no recourse in a dispute. Driving as an employed driver on a properly registered arrangement is different and legitimate — establish which you are being offered.
Ask a fleet owner the hard questions in writing: who holds the operating licence, who is responsible for maintenance and insurance, what the payment is and when it is due, what happens if the vehicle is damaged, whether you are an employee or independent, and who pays for fuel.
Employment status matters. The legal position of e-hailing drivers has been contested, and whether a driver is an employee affects rights under the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997. Where you drive for a fleet owner rather than a platform, the arrangement should be documented.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
The operating licence is the legal gate. The National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009 requires the applicable operating licence or authorisation for a public transport service. Confirm the requirements and process with your provincial regulatory entity, and establish who holds the licence for the vehicle you will drive.
Insurance must cover commercial use. A personal policy generally excludes it, and a claim after an accident while carrying a passenger is likely to be rejected. Confirm what the policy covers, what the excess is, and whether passengers are covered.
Roadworthiness and platform inspections both apply and both recur. A vehicle off the road for repairs earns nothing.
Calculate cost per kilometre before deciding. Fuel, tyres, servicing, insurance, licensing, commission and depreciation. Drivers who calculate only fuel consistently overestimate their earnings.
Driver safety is a genuine risk. Use the platform’s in-app safety features, share trip details with someone, decline off-platform trips, and be deliberate about areas and times. An off-platform trip has no record, no insurance position and no support.
Long hours are the norm and fatigue is a real hazard, both for you and for your passengers. Working excessive hours to cover a weekly rental payment is how accidents happen.
Documents, PrDP or Supporting Evidence
What is needed to register as a driver.
- A valid South African driver’s licence
- A valid professional driving permit
- A police clearance certificate, where required
- Proof of identity and the right to work in South Africa
- The vehicle’s operating licence, registration and roadworthy certificate
- The insurance schedule showing e-hailing cover
- A written agreement with the vehicle owner, where you do not own it
- A bank account in your own name
- A smartphone meeting the platform’s specification
Registration or Application Process
Register directly with the platform. Registration is free and is done through the platform’s own channels — nobody legitimate charges to activate a driver account.
Before committing to a rental or rent-to-own arrangement, get the terms in writing and calculate what you need to earn each week just to break even. That number, rather than the gross fare estimate, is what tells you whether the arrangement works.
Never buy an account. An account in someone else’s name leaves you with no lawful position, no insurance and no recourse, and it is fraud.
Keep your own records of trips, earnings, deductions and expenses. Income from e-hailing is taxable and must be declared to SARS, and expenses actually incurred in producing that income are deductible — but only with records. Registering as a provisional taxpayer may apply; confirm with SARS.
- Decide deliberately between owning, renting and driving for an owner
- Get any rental or fleet arrangement in writing before starting
- Ask who holds the operating licence for the vehicle
- Ask what happens when the vehicle is off the road
- Never drive on someone else’s account or buy an account
- Confirm the insurance covers commercial e-hailing use
- Calculate cost per kilometre, not just fuel
- Work out your weekly break-even before committing
- Use in-app safety features and decline off-platform trips
- Keep records — e-hailing income is taxable and expenses are deductible
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I own, rent or drive for someone else?
Owning gives the highest return and the highest risk. Renting fixes a weekly payment that is due whether you drive or not. Driving on someone else’s account is unlawful — a documented employed arrangement is not.
What should I ask a fleet owner?
Who holds the operating licence, who pays for maintenance and insurance, what the payment is, what happens if the vehicle is damaged, whether you are an employee, and who pays for fuel. In writing.
Is my income taxable?
Yes. E-hailing income must be declared to SARS, and expenses actually incurred are deductible — but only with records. Registering as a provisional taxpayer may apply.
Why avoid off-platform trips?
They carry no trip record, no insurance position and no platform support. They are the arrangement in which drivers are most exposed.
Driver requirements, permit categories, operating licence rules and platform terms are set by the licensing authorities, the provincial regulatory entities and the platforms, and are revised. Confirm current requirements with each, and your tax position with SARS.