Registration on an e-hailing platform is free and is done directly through the platform. Everything sold around it — paid activation, bought accounts, guaranteed approval — leaves the driver without a lawful position and without recourse.
This page covers the registration process, what commonly delays it, and how to keep an account active once you have one.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
What registration 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 vehicle with a valid operating licence or authorisation under the National Land Transport Act 5 of 2009
- A current roadworthy certificate and valid vehicle licence
- Comprehensive insurance covering commercial e-hailing use
- A vehicle meeting the platform’s year model, type and condition requirements
- A police clearance certificate, where the platform requires it
- Proof of identity and the right to work in South Africa
Licence and Eligibility Requirements
Register through the platform’s own app or website only. Registration is free. Anyone charging to register you, activate an account or guarantee approval is defrauding you.
Never buy or drive on someone else’s account. You are unidentified to the platform and the passenger, the insurance position is void, you have no recourse in a dispute, and it is a terms breach resulting in permanent deactivation. The money paid for the account is gone.
Register with your details exactly as they appear on your ID. Verification checks documents against the details entered, and a mismatch stops the process. Correcting registration details afterwards is far harder.
Document photographs are the usual problem, not the documents. Blurred, cropped, poorly lit or expired images are the most common rejection reason. Photograph flat, in good light, with all four corners visible.
The operating licence is the longest lead item. Where the platform requires it at registration, obtain it first — applications through the provincial regulatory entity take time and in some areas demand exceeds availability.
Police clearance also takes time where the platform requires it. Start it early.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
The vehicle must be ready too — valid vehicle licence, roadworthy certificate, insurance covering commercial use, and condition that will pass inspection. A registration held up by a vehicle problem is common.
Arrange the insurance before the first trip. A personal policy generally excludes e-hailing, and an accident on the first day under a personal policy is the worst version of this mistake.
Keep every document current after registration. An expired driver’s licence, professional driving permit, vehicle licence, roadworthy certificate, operating licence or insurance policy will deactivate the account, usually without warning. Diarise every expiry date at registration.
Inspections and scans recur. Complete them when requested rather than waiting, since a lapsed check deactivates the vehicle.
Protect the account. A unique password used nowhere else, two-factor authentication where offered, and a SIM swap lock with your mobile provider. Never share a one-time PIN with anyone, including someone claiming to be from the platform.
Keep the registered contact details current, because platform notifications about documents, deactivations and disputes go to them.
Documents, PrDP or Supporting Evidence
What is needed to register.
- 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 required
- 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 your 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.
Complete registration in one sitting with documents photographed and ready, and respond promptly to any request for more information — incomplete applications are commonly closed.
If registration is rejected, ask for the specific reason and address it before resubmitting. Resubmitting the same documents wastes days.
Verify any recruitment message against the platform’s own website. Messages and social media posts offering activation for a fee, or a WhatsApp onboarding process, are fraudulent, and documents sent to them are the raw material of identity theft.
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.
- Register through the platform’s own app or website — it is free
- Never pay anyone to register, activate or guarantee approval
- Never buy or drive on another person’s account
- Register with your details exactly as they appear on your ID
- Photograph documents flat, in good light, all corners visible
- Start the operating licence and police clearance early
- Arrange commercial insurance before the first trip
- Diarise every document expiry date at registration
- Complete inspections and scans when requested
- Use a unique password, two-factor authentication and a SIM swap lock
Frequently Asked Questions
Does registration cost anything?
No. It is free and done directly through the platform. Anyone charging to register, activate or guarantee approval is defrauding you.
What delays registration most?
Document photographs — blurred, cropped, poorly lit or expired — and the operating licence and police clearance, which take time. Start those first.
Why not use a friend’s account?
You are unidentified to the platform and passenger, the insurance is void, you have no recourse, and it is a terms breach resulting in permanent deactivation.
What deactivates an account later?
An expired licence, permit, vehicle licence, roadworthy certificate, operating licence or insurance policy, usually without warning. Diarise every expiry date.
Registration requirements, verification processes, operating licence rules and platform terms are set by the platform and the provincial regulatory entities and are revised. Register only through the platform’s own channels.