Who the vehicle is registered to determines who may lawfully operate it, who the operating licence is issued to, and who the insurer will pay. Getting the registration position wrong is the administrative error that unwinds everything else.
This page covers registration, ownership and the arrangements that complicate it — a financed vehicle, a company-owned vehicle, and a vehicle used by someone other than the owner.
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
The registered titleholder and the registered owner can differ. Where a vehicle is financed, the finance house is usually the titleholder and you are the registered owner. That distinction matters: the titleholder’s consent is needed for some things, including taking the vehicle out of the country and sometimes for commercial use.
Check the finance agreement before using a financed vehicle commercially. Many vehicle finance agreements restrict or prohibit commercial use, and using the vehicle in breach can constitute a default. Ask the finance house in writing.
The operating licence is issued to an operator for a specific vehicle. Establish who the operator will be — you personally, or a company — before applying, because changing it later means a fresh application. Confirm the requirements with your provincial regulatory entity.
A company-owned vehicle requires the company’s registration documents, a resolution, and identification for the directors, and the operating licence and insurance follow the company rather than the individual. That is a legitimate structure and it needs to be set up deliberately.
Where the driver is not the owner, a written letter of authority from the owner is required by platforms and by traffic authorities, and the arrangement should be documented properly. An undocumented arrangement is where disputes and insurance rejections come from.
Vehicle, Inspection and Safety Requirements
Change of ownership must be registered with the licensing authority within the prescribed period after a sale. Until it is recorded, the previous owner may remain liable for traffic fines and the vehicle’s status, and the new owner cannot properly licence or insure it.
Vehicle licensing is annual and an expired licence disc is an offence and a roadworthiness issue. Diarise it.
Roadworthy testing recurs for vehicles used in public transport. Confirm the frequency with your licensing authority.
Verify a vehicle before buying it — the registration certificate against the vehicle, the VIN and engine numbers, that the seller is the titleholder, and that no finance is outstanding. A vehicle with finance owing cannot be transferred and buying one privately can leave you with neither the car nor the money.
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.
The insurance must match the registration. A policy in one name over a vehicle registered in another is a rejected claim waiting to happen. Align the owner, the operator, the operating licence and the policy.
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
- A letter of consent from the finance house, where the vehicle is financed
- CIPC registration documents and a resolution, where the vehicle is company-owned
- Proof of the change of ownership registration, where recently purchased
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.
Sort the registration position first: who owns it, who the titleholder is, who the operator will be, and whether the finance agreement permits commercial use. Then apply for the operating licence, then insure, then register with the platform.
Get every arrangement in writing. Owner and driver arrangements, rental terms, who pays for what, and what happens if the vehicle is damaged. Verbal arrangements in this sector produce a steady stream of disputes.
Never register a vehicle in someone else’s name to obtain an account, and never operate on an account registered to another person. Both leave you without a lawful position, without insurance and without recourse.
- Establish who is the registered owner and who is the titleholder
- Ask the finance house in writing whether commercial use is permitted
- Decide whether the operator will be you or a company, before applying
- Obtain a written letter of authority where the driver is not the owner
- Register a change of ownership within the prescribed period
- Keep the vehicle licence current and diarise the renewal
- Confirm the roadworthy testing frequency with the licensing authority
- Verify title, VIN and outstanding finance before buying
- Align the owner, operator, operating licence and insurance policy
- Never register or operate a vehicle in another person’s name
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a financed car for e-hailing?
Check the finance agreement and ask the finance house in writing. Many agreements restrict or prohibit commercial use, and using the vehicle in breach can constitute a default.
What is the difference between owner and titleholder?
Where a vehicle is financed, the finance house is usually the titleholder and you are the registered owner. The titleholder’s consent is needed for certain things.
Can someone else drive my car on the platform?
Only with a documented arrangement, a written letter of authority and an insurance position that covers it. An undocumented arrangement is where rejections and disputes come from.
Who should hold the operating licence?
The operator — you personally or a company. Decide before applying, because changing it later means a fresh application.
Registration, licensing, roadworthy and operating licence requirements are set by the licensing authorities and the provincial regulatory entities and are revised. Confirm current requirements with your licensing authority, the regulatory entity and your finance house.