Big change for Gauteng e-hailing drivers as new registration begins
· The South African
Gauteng has started registering e-hailing drivers on a provincial transport system as South Africa’s push to regulate the industry enters its next phase.
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The provincial government has called on e-hailing companies to ensure their drivers register on the Gauteng Integrated Public Transport Administration System (GIPTAS).
According to a report, the process will require drivers to provide key personal, vehicle and licensing information.
The development could affect hundreds of thousands of drivers as authorities move to formalise the rapidly growing sector.
What e-hailing drivers will need
GIPTAS stores information Gauteng uses to manage and monitor public transport operations and regulate the issuing of public transport licences.
Drivers registering on the system will need to provide key licensing documents.
These include their Professional Driving Permit (PrDP), vehicle registration details and identity numbers.
Foreign nationals who do not have South African ID numbers can use a Traffic Register Number (TRN) when registering.
A TRN allows people without a standard 13-digit South African ID number to conduct road traffic transactions through the country’s eNaTIS system.
Ashif Black, inDrive’s South Africa country representative, in an interview, said that the provincial government had started engaging e-hailing operators about the process.
The government wants to strengthen its database of drivers operating in Gauteng as the industry adjusts to tougher regulation.
No registration deadline yet
Drivers do not, however, face an immediate registration deadline.
Black said the GIPTAS process remained in its early stages and authorities had not yet set a deadline.
He said operators were still engaging government over some of the requirements and seeking clarity on parts of the process.
The registration of drivers follows an earlier push to bring e-hailing platforms themselves into the regulatory system.
In November 2025, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport called on e-hailing app providers operating in the province to register legally.
It was previously reported in June that inDrive had subsequently secured approval to operate under South Africa’s new regulatory framework.
South Africa tightens e-hailing rules
The changes form part of broader efforts to regulate e-hailing under the amended National Land Transport framework.
The new regulatory system formally recognises e-hailing as a public transport category and places greater compliance obligations on platforms, drivers and vehicles.
Requirements include operating licences for drivers and vehicles, approved vehicle identification and additional safety measures.
The Gauteng government’s official operating licence application documentation also states that operating licences are granted per vehicle.
The latest move shifts the focus towards individual drivers and the information authorities hold about people providing e-hailing services.
According to another report on Sunday, the Gauteng government had urged e-hailing companies to ensure their drivers register on GIPTAS.
For drivers, the key issue now is to ensure their PrDP, vehicle registration and identification documents are in order while the registration process unfolds.
Authorities have not announced a final deadline, meaning drivers should watch for further instructions from the province and their respective e-hailing platforms.