Minister Barbara Creecy: SANTACO Women’s Month

President of SANTACO, Mr Mothlabane Abnar Tsebe
National Chairperson of SANTACO, Ms Lungiswa Mabija
National Chairperson of SANTACO Women, Ms Duduzekile Maphumulo
Representatives of government and our partners in road safety, law enforcement, civil society and community development
Programme Director

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is an honour to address the SANTACO Summit on Women’s Safety and Empowerment in Transport, and stand before the driving force of our nation’s daily movement.

Firstly, let me recognise the significance of the SANTACO Women elective conference held on 25 May 2026. The conference was a demonstration of credible internal democratic process and of empowerment, maturity and leadership within the taxi industry. I congratulate the incoming leadership of the Women’s Desk. 

You have the immense task of leading fearlessly to keep South Africa moving. You are at the heart of an industry that moves 8 million commuters daily and supports livelihoods, sustains households and enables the functioning of our economy.

The taxi industry is a key part of the national transport landscape and is also one of the largest black-owned sectors in the country, with its revenue estimated at between R60 – R100 billion annually, contributing about 1.4% to GDP.

National government fully appreciates the central role this industry currently plays in transporting eight out of every ten commuters. The industry connects millions of South Africans and ensures that they are able to satisfy important daily needs and access economic opportunities.

According to the International Labour Organisation’s figures women represent only about 2% of the total workforce in the South African minibus taxi industry, and own only about 2.8% of the operational minibus taxis on South African roads. A major contributor to this is SA Taxi, which has financed and invested in 4,382 female taxi owners who collectively run 5,656 taxis. These women-led taxi enterprises are responsible for creating over 10,180 direct jobs within the sector.

Female taxi drivers are still exceptionally rare. Most women actively employed by taxi associations occupy entry-level roles such as administrative clerks, fare collectors, or rank kitchen staff.

And so the question we must ask today is how do we ensure women play a greater role in our public transport system. 

Yesterday Bongi Pityi wrote an articule in the Sunday Times entitled “Job No 1 to help women is fixing Public Transport”

In the article she argues that Long travel times unreliable services and safety concerns reduce more than convenience. They reduce productive hours, increase the cost of employment and influence whether opportunities remain accessible.

She goes on to argue that safe reliable transport unlocks access to employment, education, entrepreneurship and markets.

Fragmentation in the governance of public transport has highlighted the need for a new framework for road-based public transport. This includes consolidating fragmented funding streams and formally integrating the minibus taxi industry into a safer, more efficient, and better-regulated transport network.

This reform process will support the long-term sustainability of the sector while de-risking the taxi industry to attract greater formal investment through improved regulation, transparency, and safety standards.

This process of reform currently has four key elements:

Repurposing the current taxi recapitsalisation grant so it supports the industry to buy cheaper vehicles with lower repayments
Speeding up the development of a new online licensing system that will eliminate current backlogs in renewals and support decision-making by provincial PREs

To support the formalisation and right sizing of industry through establishing nine pilot Transport Operating Companies, one in each province to take forward new forms of industry management and investment.

Reform of the current public transport grant system including the Public Transport Operations Grant, Public Transport Network Grant, into a unified public transport support model

I raise this reform process that the National Department of Transport is working on with the National Executive Committee of Santaco at this conference today so that all women members understand there are important change processes underway and you ensure that you are well briefed by your national leadership

Many women enter the taxi business through difficult lived pathways: as widows inheriting a late husband’s route or permit, or as daughters stepping into a parent’s business, often without having chosen the industry, and without formal preparation.

Ongoing and active measures such as institutional support, training, mentorship and access to finance, need to be at the core of SANTACO Women’s efforts to ensure smooth transition, provide direct support in such instances.

However in my view the responsibility of the Women’s Desk goes far beyond women members of the taxi industry. The taxi industry is so deeply embedded in our communities, it cannot be seen only as a transport provider. It is also a social institution.

Taxi ranks, routes and vehicles are daily points of contact with women, children, learners, workers, traders and vulnerable persons. This gives the industry both reach and responsibility in the national effort to end Gender Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).

We commend the SANTACO Women and civil society groups for pushing initiatives like the Safe Minibus Taxi Charter and anti-GBV training. But training is only the first gear. We need active enforcement and zero tolerance for abuse at every rank and on every route.

Our roads and taxi ranks must be turned into safe zones. Drivers, operators, and marshals must be the first line of defence. If you see harassment, you must speak up.

A safe taxi ride is good for business, good for the community, and essential for our dignity. Safety is not a privilege; it is a fundamental human right. When a mother sends her child to school, or a young woman travels to her night shift, safety inside our ranks and inside our taxis must be guaranteed.

Government and SANTACO must continue to partner to implement the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide 2020–2030, which calls for a society-wide, multi-sectoral response to GBVF. Through the annual agreement we will continue to collaborate and report to the Presidency on the initiatives bearing fruit and making visible impact.

Ladies and gentlemen

Women should not just be passengers in the taxi industry; they must be owners, fleet managers, mechanics, and top-tier executives. True transformation means moving women from the back seat to the steering wheel of economic power.

We congratulate SANTACO for the strides made recently in appointing the first female Chairperson in the Executive Structure, and we support you in accelerating the pace as resolved at the National Taxi Lekgotla.

We want to see women leading regional associations, owning fleets, managing fuel depots, running scholar transport, and participating in manufacturing and supply contracts.

Ladies and gentlemen.

The Department of Transport remains committed to partnering with SANTACO and the broader taxi industry.

We continue to have engagements regarding de-risking the industry and working with financial institutions to create accessible vehicle financing models.

The Department has also encouraged the SANTACO Leadership to explore enterprise development through the establishment of taxi operating entities, where technical support on business management, proper mentorship for business tenders and contracts will enable and empower women. This could also result in women-led transport entities to venture into other opportunities within the transport eco system.

To the leadership of SANTACO, government cannot do this alone. I challenge SANTACO today to set bold, measurable targets to ensure the taxi industry an inclusive enterprise that the next generation of women will be proud to inherit.

As I conclude, let us remember that a nation is judged by how it treats its women. Let us work together to build a transport system that protects women, respects them, and empowers them to thrive.

Thank you, and I wish you a highly successful and productive Summit.

Malibongwe igama lamakhosikazi!