The South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) has announced a rollout of free Wi-Fi to 50,000 taxis over the next 24 months in partnership with free Wi-Fi platform Sebenza.
Santaco said the project forms part of broader efforts to modernise the sector and expand digital access for millions who rely on taxis daily.
The announcement was made during an immersion session in Bryanston on Thursday, where minister of communication and digital technologies Solly Malatsi, together with other stakeholders and Sebenza employees, was taken on a short ride in a Wi-Fi–enabled minibus taxi before being shown a live router installation at the Randburg taxi rank.
Throughout the ride, commuters tapped into the free connection, scrolling through social media, downloading and catching up on messages — a small glimpse of what Sebenza says it wants to make standard across the country.
Sebenza CEO Wesley Dorning said that universal access is particularly urgent for young people, many of whom still struggle to afford data.
Dorning said in-transit connectivity has already shown strong uptake, with usage of the onboard Wi-Fi and entertainment platform growing from 5.3-million in 2024 to 7-million in 2025.
“21-million recorded sessions in 2024 and an average dwell time of 10–15 minutes per user,” Dorning said.
He said the expansion through the Santaco partnership would deepen national reach, noting that the current footprint spans 8,500 taxis and buses.
“We are now accelerating our rollout … positioning [the company] to deploy 50,000 taxis in the next 24 months,” he said.
Dorning also recounted a story from a taxi driver who told him his child used the in-vehicle Wi-Fi to finish a school project, an example, he said, of how connectivity on the move can fill gaps at home.
Santaco president Motlhabane Abnar Tsebe said the industry must evolve with commuter needs.
“This partnership is beneficial for commuters. They cannot be disadvantaged by lack of access to platforms that have been proven to add value and transform their lives,” Tsebe said.
“We are excited to roll out more vehicles equipped with such a platform throughout the length and breadth of our nation.”
Malatsi said accelerating digital inclusion to empower all South Africans to claim a stake in local and regional economies while participating globally is critical.
“Digital technologies continue to rapidly reshape the global economy and access for every South African is key. Such initiatives highlight real-time progress and implementation of the overall developmental objectives of our country.” Malatsi said.
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