After 15 years of partnership, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) and Harmony Gold Mine have agreed to terminate the lease of the SANTACO Transport Training Academy in Welkom, signalling a strategic shift in how the taxi industry will pursue skills development and road safety moving forward.
The academy, launched on 24 October 2011, was born out of SANTACO’s Hlokomela road safety campaign, an initiative designed to reinforce government’s Arrive Alive programme. At the time, the partnership with Harmony Gold provided a physical hub where accredited institutions could train taxi operators and employees in critical areas such as first aid, customer service and business management.
Now, more than a decade later, both parties have opted not to renew the lease. SANTACO says the decision does not mark a retreat from its long-standing commitment to professionalising the industry. Instead, it reflects a broader evolution in how training is delivered.
STATEMENT ISSUED BY SANTACO NATIONAL HEAD OFFICE
