South African ride-hailing app for metered taxis, Taxi Live Africa, wants to take on Uber, Bolt

Ride-hailing options are popping up all over South Africa. Most recently we saw Russian bartering app, inDriver, launch across the country. Now Taxi Live Africa wants to make sure you get to where you want to go. In a more conventional, metered taxi. 

Taxi Live Africa is a new locally-developed mobile app that allows metered, private and owner-run taxi drivers to find customers through the platform. It’s no Uber, but it’s a method of making existing metered taxis more competitive in the current environment. Bold strategy, Cotton… 

Mama, I’m coming home

Following its soft launch at the end of June, Taxi Live Africa received more than 700 registrations in Durban. Now it has expanded to Joburg and Cape Town. This means that taxi-owners in the designated cities can now apply to drive for the service. Full app functionality will roll out to these cities in the coming weeks, and the rest of the country in a few months. 

“Taxi Live Africa has been designed to give metered taxi drivers as well as private and owner taxi drivers their own app,” the company said in a statement published on TechCentral. “The objective is to attract as many licensed taxi drivers as possible nationally.”

Like its competitors, Taxi Live Africa’s app includes an emergency button, live chat support, ride schedules, and an emergency number for the popo, if it turns out you need them. 

Licensed taxi drivers and owners can apply on the company’s website, but some criteria have to be met. For example, vehicles may not be older than six years, they must be four-door cars, and drivers must supply all certificates and permits.

On the customer side of the app, passengers can select their destination and drop-off point, and pay using card or cash. 

Source: TechCentral