Before signing up to any e-hailing or delivery platform, there is a set of questions worth answering about it. Platforms differ substantially on commission, payment timing, support, deactivation practice and dispute handling, and those differences matter more than the fare.
This page covers the standard requirements and then the platform comparison, because most drivers choose on which app is busy rather than on terms.
Driver or Vehicle Requirements at a Glance
What driving for a 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 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
Ask what the commission is and whether it changes with promotions, surge periods or trip type. That percentage is the single largest cost after the vehicle.
Ask when and how you are paid. Daily, weekly or on demand, and what any instant payout costs. Cash flow matters more to a driver with a weekly rental than the headline rate does.
Ask how disputes are handled. A passenger complaint, a fare dispute, a damage claim — what is the process, who decides, and is there any appeal? A platform that deactivates on a single complaint without a hearing is a business risk.
Ask what deactivation practice is. Deactivation ends your income immediately, and the grounds and the appeal process should be known before you depend on the account.
Ask what support exists and how you reach a human being. In-app chat only, at three in the morning after an incident, is a real limitation.
Ask what safety features exist — in-app emergency assistance, trip sharing, passenger verification — and what the platform does after an incident.
Verify the platform is properly established in South Africa with an identifiable company. A platform without a verifiable local entity gives you no counterparty when something goes wrong.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
Drive for more than one platform where the terms allow it. A driver on a single platform is exposed to that platform’s deactivation, commission changes and demand fluctuations. Diversification is the main protection available and it costs nothing.
Understand what surge and incentive schemes actually pay. Bonus structures with conditions — a number of trips in a period, an acceptance rate, a rating threshold — can be worth less than they appear, and chasing them can push you into unprofitable trips.
Watch acceptance and cancellation rate requirements. Where a platform penalises declining trips, it constrains your ability to refuse unprofitable or unsafe work. Know the thresholds.
Your rating is a business asset. Falling below a threshold restricts or ends access. Cleanliness, punctuality and manner are the whole of it, and they cost nothing.
Safety comes before any metric. Decline trips that do not feel right, keep every trip on the platform, use trip sharing, and never agree to go off-app. An off-platform trip has no record, no insurance position and no support.
Insurance must cover commercial use. A personal policy generally excludes e-hailing and a claim after an accident carrying a passenger is likely to be rejected.
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. Confirm the requirements with your provincial regulatory entity — operating without one exposes the vehicle to impoundment, and platform registration is not a substitute.
Register directly with the platform. Registration is free and nobody legitimate charges to activate an account.
Read the terms before accepting them, particularly on commission, payment, deactivation and dispute handling. They are the contract and they are usually available before you sign up.
Keep your own records of trips, earnings, deductions and expenses, independently of the app. If a dispute arises about payment, your record is what supports it.
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.
- Ask what the commission is and whether it varies
- Ask when and how you are paid, and what instant payout costs
- Ask how disputes and deactivations are handled and whether there is an appeal
- Ask what support exists and how you reach a person
- Verify the platform has an identifiable South African entity
- Drive for more than one platform where the terms allow
- Read incentive scheme conditions before chasing them
- Know the acceptance and cancellation thresholds
- Keep every trip on the platform and use safety features
- Keep your own records of trips, earnings and expenses
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I ask a platform before signing up?
Commission and whether it varies, payment timing and instant payout cost, dispute and deactivation practice with any appeal, support availability, and what safety features exist.
Should I drive for one platform or several?
Several, where the terms allow. A driver on one platform is exposed to its deactivation, commission changes and demand swings. Diversification is the main protection available.
Are incentive schemes worth chasing?
Read the conditions first. Bonuses tied to trip counts, acceptance rates or ratings can be worth less than they appear and can push you into unprofitable trips.
Why keep my own records?
If a payment dispute arises, your independent record of trips, earnings and deductions is what supports it. The app is the platform’s record, not yours.
Platform terms, commissions, deactivation policies, operating licence rules and insurance requirements are set by the platforms, the provincial regulatory entities and insurers, and are revised. Confirm current terms with each before signing up.