South African e-hailing drivers are raising alarm over dwindling earnings, with many claiming they now make less per kilometre than the South African Revenue Service’s (Sars) recommended travel allowance for employees using personal vehicles for work.
This comes after widespread strikes in July 2025, when drivers alleged that Uber and Bolt had hiked their commissions from roughly 25% to as much as 50%. Both companies denied this, insisting their cuts remain at 24% (Bolt) and 25% (Uber).
While commission rates remain disputed, drivers say shrinking fares have done the most damage to their income. One e-hailing association estimates overall fares have dropped 35% since 2016, leaving many drivers struggling to cover basic running costs.
Frustrated, some drivers have started posting trip breakdowns in a large public Facebook group. One Uber driver revealed that from a R554 trip, their payout was just R334 after Uber’s deductions — with 34% going to commission and taxes, higher than the company’s official figure.
Other posts showed how earnings per kilometre often fell well below sustainable levels:
Uber Go (52km) – R189 fare → R3.63/km
Uber Go (21km) – R79 fare → R3.76/km
Bolt Economy (49km) – R165 fare → R3.37/km
Uber X (47km) – R216 fare → R4.60/km
For comparison, Sars recommends R4.76/km as the allowance employers should pay staff to cover fuel and wear-and-tear. Of the ten trips MyBroadband analysed, only one exceeded this rate — and even then, fuel costs meant drivers still took home less.
Drivers must shoulder their own petrol expenses. With current prices, a car achieving 20km per litre spends around R1.08/km on fuel alone. That means even “good” fares often leave less than R3/km to cover insurance, maintenance, and income.
Industry frustration has fueled unprecedented unity among South Africa’s fractured e-hailing associations. According to Elijah Lekgowane, president of the National E-hailing Federation of South Africa (Nefsa), a nationwide strike is looming unless companies improve pay and working conditions.
“We can’t say it will happen tomorrow, but national action is coming — that I guarantee you,” Lekgowane told Cape Talk.
“We are saying to the app companies: If we can’t make earnings, you can’t make profit. As simple as that.”
With drivers earning less than what the taxman considers a fair rate per kilometre, tensions between e-hailing platforms and their workers appear set to escalate in the coming months.
Main Image: TopAuto
