Heritage Month: The History of the Taxi industry in South Africa

 

As we celebrate Heritage Month in September, we look back on the history of the minibus taxi industry and how it has evolved into the thriving sector it is today.

 

In the 1960s, the apartheid government forced black South Africans to move out of the cities into far-flung townships many kilometres away from business districts. To facilitate the movement of people from the cities to work, food, and services; the minibus taxi industry was born out of a need for public transport, which was not serviced by buses or rail. The government at the time refused to grant road carrier permits, but resilient Black entrepreneurs found a way. Large sedans that could transport six adults at a time were used looking like a family and blending in easily with other cars on the road. While this offered a solution, it could not meet the demand.

 

The Road Transportation Act of 1977 defined a bus as a vehicle that carried more than nine passengers, which required a permit. Black taxi operators carried nine or fewer in their ‘kombis’ at a time. The government was still under pressure from the bus and rail companies not to issue permits to black taxi operators, and drivers increasingly drove without permits. In 1981, around 60 000 operators and drivers came together as a unified voice and established the first South African Black Taxi Association (SABTA).

 

Legal and illegal operators were continuously fined, and their vehicles were sometimes confiscated, while taxi ranks were regularly closed by traffic authorities. This, of course, led to protests that often turned violent. Much debate about managing the growing taxi industry ensued, and eventually, in 1987, the government decided the taxi industry should be completely deregulated. By 1989, over 50 000 taxis were operating nationally, gaining the largest share of the commuter market.

 

The fledgling industry that began in the 60s and 70s empowered black South Africans at a time when few economic opportunities existed. It has grown in numbers and is now the largest public transport service available in the country.