Dashcam footage is bringing renewed attention to e-hailing crime in South Africa, amid calls for stronger identity checks and coordinated policing. The growing circulation of dashcam footage showing criminal incidents involving e-hailing vehicles in South Africa is exposing a safety crisis that industry representatives say has persisted for years. Over the past few months, social media has been flooded with footage and accounts from drivers highlighting a range of crimes, including armed robberies, hijackings, and assaults. Drivers and industry representatives say concerns remain over the lack of proactive response from e-hailing platforms and law enforcement agencies.
One anonymous e-hailing operator described how criminals hijacked one of his vehicles during a job, used it as a getaway car for a separate robbery, then left the driver bound in the trunk before abandoning the car in a wooded area. Melithemba Mnguni, secretary-general of the E-hailing Partners Council (EPCO), states the crisis predates the current surge in viral footage. “The technology is now making visible what many of us have been saying all along: there is a serious and ongoing safety crisis in the e-hailing industry, and it requires a coordinated response from government, law enforcement, platforms, and industry stakeholders,” he says.
EPCO’s concerns stem from the absence of reliable crime statistics, which prevents the industry from quantifying the scale of robberies, hijackings, and assaults affecting drivers and passengers. Mnguni insists mandatory in-car cameras—overseen by platforms—could generate the evidence needed to hold both criminals and companies responsible. Two core weaknesses stand out: lax identity verification for riders and drivers, and the near-total lack of consequences for offenders. “Where criminals believe they can commit crimes without being identified or apprehended, the absence of consequences creates an environment of impunity,” says Mnguni. The issue is exacerbated by profile-sharing among drivers, where unauthorized operators rent accounts to pick up passengers, further obscuring accountability.
Platforms clash on blame for safety gaps
Bolt, another leading platform, acknowledges broader safety challenges in South Africa but points to internal safeguards like real-time trip monitoring and emergency response teams. Simo Kalajdzic, Bolt’s senior operations manager, observes that e-hailing drivers face raised risks due to their vehicles and cash; but argues the threat extends to all public transport and daily life. “Safety is a core problem we face in this market, and when you look at e-hailing, it’s not the only industry being impacted by crime in general.
Related Post: South Africa adopts digital healthcare records
It spans across public transport and it also spans across public life in general,” Kalajdzic states. “The e-hailer later stated he was not registered on the active account because he was unlawfully using another driver’s profile,” he adds, referencing the case of Isaac Satlat, a 22-year-old driver killed in February near Pretoria after criminals posing as Bolt riders hijacked his vehicle.
For drivers, the absence of arrests and police engagement worsens the crisis. EPCO reports that many cases are never investigated, emboldening criminals while discouraging drivers from reporting incidents. The group has advocated for stronger identity checks and greater consequences for perpetrators to reduce opportunities for criminals to exploit e-hailing services.
Calls for police crackdowns and data reforms
Uber’s safety initiatives center on technology, including GPS tracking and emergency assistance. The company highlights investments in real-time monitoring and incident support but does not address structural flaws in rider verification or police collaboration. The dashcam videos have thrust the issue into public debate, yet underlying problems, weak enforcement, fragmented data, and platform inaction, remain unresolved.
The proposed measures to address the crisis would require active participation from law enforcement to fill gaps in crime reporting. EPCO has repeatedly stressed that without official representation, law enforcement’s ability to act is limited by the lack of standardized incident data. Police frequently cite insufficient evidence to pursue cases, leaving drivers without recourse. A coordinated approach involving platforms, government, and law enforcement could help address these systemic failures.