Cape Town station's taxi rank, August 11 2023. Picture: RUVAN BOSCHOFF
The business model for minibus taxis in SA is simple: owners hire their vehicles to drivers at a daily rate, drivers are responsible for fuel costs and only start to earn for themselves after they have covered the costs of hire and fuel. Passengers are scarce in off-peak periods and oversupplied at rush hours, both morning and evening: a recipe for frantic driving.