The question drivers actually ask is which car to buy. The answer is not a model name — it is a method, because the right vehicle depends on your city, your service class, your finance position and how many hours you will drive.
This page sets out the requirements and then the method for choosing, so the decision is made on numbers rather than on what other drivers happen to be driving.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
What a vehicle generally requires.
- A valid operating licence or authorisation under the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009
- A current roadworthy certificate and valid vehicle licence
- Registration in the operator’s name, or documented authority to use the vehicle
- Comprehensive insurance covering commercial e-hailing use
- A driver with a valid driver’s licence and professional driving permit (PrDP)
- A vehicle meeting the platform’s year model, type and condition requirements
- Passing the platform’s vehicle inspection
- The seating and door configuration the service class requires
Licence and Eligibility Requirements
Confirm the current vehicle requirements with the platform for the specific service class and city. Year models, permitted types and condition standards are set by the platform and revised.
Start from the constraint, not the car. Establish the minimum year model, any mileage limit, the permitted vehicle types and the seating requirement for the class you want. That defines the field before any model is considered.
Then rank candidates on total cost per kilometre — fuel consumption on realistic figures, tyre cost and life, service intervals and cost, common failure items and their price, insurance premium, and depreciation. That ranking is usually different from the ranking by purchase price.
Parts availability and independent service networks matter more than the badge. A car that must go to a franchise dealer for everything, or whose parts take a week to arrive, costs you earnings every time it needs attention.
Ask drivers in your own city what they run and what it costs them. Local experience on service costs, common failures and resale is worth more than any specification comparison.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
Condition standards apply throughout the vehicle’s life and inspections recur. A vehicle that scrapes through today will need money spent on it to keep passing.
Buy for the mileage you will do. A vehicle doing full-time e-hailing covers in one year what a private car covers in several, and the choice should be made on how a model holds up at high distance rather than how it feels new.
Budget maintenance as a running cost per kilometre. Servicing, tyres, brakes, suspension and clutch or transmission wear all arrive faster. Proactive maintenance is cheaper than a breakdown plus lost earnings.
Roadworthy testing recurs for vehicles in public transport, and budget should exist for the work a test finds.
Fit a tracker and a dashcam. Both assist with insurance, disputes and safety, and the cost is small relative to the protection.
Insurance must cover commercial use. A personal motor policy generally excludes e-hailing, which means a claim after an accident while carrying a passenger is likely to be rejected. Declare the use, obtain a policy that covers it, and confirm the excess and whether passengers are covered.
Documents, PrDP or Supporting Evidence
What is needed to register the vehicle.
- A valid operating licence or authorisation
- The vehicle registration certificate and current licence disc
- A current roadworthy certificate
- Comprehensive insurance schedule showing e-hailing cover
- A valid driver’s licence and professional driving permit
- A police clearance certificate, where the platform requires it
- A letter of authority from the owner, where the driver is not the owner
- Proof of identity and the right to work in South Africa
- Banking details in the operator’s own name
Registration or Application Process
The operating licence is the legal requirement, not the platform’s. The National Land Transport Act requires the applicable operating licence or authorisation for a public transport service, issued through the provincial regulatory entity. Platform registration is not a substitute, and operating without it exposes the vehicle to impoundment. Confirm the current requirements with your provincial regulatory entity.
Apply for the operating licence before buying. It is the longest lead item, and in some areas demand exceeds the licences available. Buying a vehicle and then discovering you cannot obtain a licence is the most expensive sequence available.
Verify any vehicle before buying — the registration certificate against the vehicle, the VIN and engine numbers, that the seller is the titleholder, and that no finance is outstanding — and have an independent inspection done by a body you choose.
Check the finance agreement if the vehicle is financed. Many agreements restrict or prohibit commercial use, and using the vehicle in breach can constitute a default. Ask the finance house in writing.
Keep records of trips, earnings and expenses. Income from this work is taxable and must be declared to SARS, and expenses actually incurred in producing it are deductible — but only with records. Registering as a provisional taxpayer may apply; confirm with SARS.
- Establish the platform’s constraints before choosing any model
- Rank candidates on total cost per kilometre, not purchase price
- Weight fuel consumption heavily — it dominates at e-hailing distances
- Choose a model with cheap parts and a wide independent service network
- Ask drivers in your own city what things actually cost them
- Apply for the operating licence before buying the vehicle
- Ask the finance house in writing about commercial use
- Verify title, VIN and outstanding finance before paying
- Have an independent inspection done by a body you choose
- Fit a tracker and a dashcam
Frequently Asked Questions
Which car should I buy?
Start from the platform’s constraints for your class and city, then rank candidates on total cost per kilometre. That ranking is usually different from the one by purchase price.
What matters most in the running cost?
Fuel consumption, then tyres and servicing. Over e-hailing distances the difference between a frugal and a thirsty car is a substantial part of the earnings.
Should I buy before getting an operating licence?
No. The licence is the longest lead item and in some areas demand exceeds availability. Buying first and failing to obtain one is the most expensive sequence.
Can I use a financed car?
Check the agreement and ask the finance house in writing. Many finance agreements restrict or prohibit commercial use, and breaching one can constitute a default.
Vehicle requirements, service class standards, operating licence rules and finance terms are set by the platforms, the provincial regulatory entities and the finance houses and are revised. Confirm current requirements with each before buying.