Wanatu, a South African e-hailing company, became the first to secure a certificate of operation before international competitors like Bolt and Uber. Records from the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR) as of March 2026 show that at least three platform providers—Wanatu, Bolt, and Maxim were officially registered and granted operational certificates in line with new legal requirements. Wanatu received its certificate on February 12, while Bolt and Maxim followed on February 27, 2026.
Despite being the leading e-hailing service, Uber was considered to be operating illegally based on timelines set by law. The National Land Transport Amendment (NLTA) Act, gazetted in September 2025, formally recognised ehailing services and laid out registration requirements for operators and drivers. Following the enactment, platforms had a 180-day period to apply for and obtain their registration certificates, which would expire accordingly.
No official extension to the registration deadline was announced, meaning any provider not compliant by March 11, 2026, is considered to be operating outside the law. The department clarified that drivers using unregistered platforms cannot apply for individual operating licences until their platform registers.
