E-hailing drivers in South Africa face ongoing armed robberies and hijackings
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South African Police Service (SAPS) quarterly crime statistics show that carjackings remain a significant national problem, even as overall reported figures have declined in recent periods. In the first quarter of 2025 (January–March), SAPS recorded 4,533 carjackings nationwide, equating to roughly 50 per day. This represented a 15.1% decrease from 5,338 in the same period of 2024. In the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year (January–March 2026), the figure fell further to 3,609 cases, a 20.4% decline from the prior comparable period and still averaging about 40 vehicles per day.
Gauteng consistently accounts for the largest share of these incidents, often between 55% and 57% of the national total. In January–March 2026, Gauteng recorded 2,062 carjackings. Alexandra police station in Johannesburg ranked as the highest nationally in that quarter with 63 incidents. Other high-volume Gauteng precincts in recent quarters have included Ivory Park, Mamelodi East, Tembisa, Moroka, Akasia, Jabulani, and Eldorado Park. KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape rank next, with stations such as Umlazi also featuring among national hotspots.
Victims of Crime Survey data indicate substantial underreporting. One release estimated around 81,000 hijackings in a recent year, or approximately 222 per day, compared with lower official SAPS counts. Business-owned vehicles, including those used in e-hailing and courier work, face elevated risk relative to privately owned vehicles, according to Tracker data drawn from more than one million subscriptions. Hijackings have at times accounted for over half of vehicle crime incidents tracked by the company.
E-hailing drivers operating on platforms such as Uber and Bolt are frequently targeted. The National E-hailing Federation of South Africa (NEFSA) has stated that violent crimes against drivers form a pattern ongoing since 2015. Common methods include criminals requesting rides through the apps, then producing firearms or knives once inside the vehicle to rob drivers of cash, cellphones, and the vehicle itself. In some cases, multiple suspects coordinate ambushes at pickup points or force route changes. Drivers have also been followed by other vehicles, shot at, or subjected to attacks linked to competition with traditional minibus taxi operators in certain areas.
Documented incidents include the February 2026 murder of 22-year-old Bolt driver Isaac Satlat in Pretoria West. Dashcam footage captured passengers attacking and strangling him inside the vehicle after requesting a ride. Four suspects were arrested and charged with murder and robbery; three abandoned bail applications. In July 2026, a Bolt driver in Lotus River, Cape Town, was robbed at gunpoint of a cellphone and hoodie after responding to a ride request; a case of robbery with a firearm was opened. Similar armed robberies of drivers have been recorded in Parkwood, Eldorado Park, and other locations, with suspects sometimes identified as targeting Uber and Bolt operators specifically.
In August 2025, an e-hailing driver was shot and killed at Maponya Mall in Soweto; his vehicle and others were set alight. Additional drivers and a bystander were injured. Attacks involving security personnel linked to taxi associations have also been reported, including a June 2026 incident in KwaNdengezi, KwaZulu-Natal, where guards allegedly fired at an e-hailing vehicle’s tyre, caused a collision, assaulted the driver, and intimidated female passengers. Three suspects were arrested on charges including attempted murder.
Weapons are used in a majority of hijackings. SAPS data for one recent period indicated weapons in 68.3% of cases, with firearms predominant. Aggravated robberies, including those during hijackings, contribute substantially to kidnappings. In the 2023/24 financial year, SAPS recorded 22,735 carjackings (about 63 per day) and 1,976 truck hijackings. Kidnappings rose sharply over the preceding decade.
Peak times for hijackings have shifted in Tracker and related analyses toward weekdays, particularly afternoons and evenings (for example, 16:00–21:00 on Tuesdays to Fridays in some datasets). Hotspots include residential approaches, driveway entrances, and specific township and corridor locations. Recovery rates improve markedly when vehicles carry trackers.
Platforms have implemented or expanded safety tools such as in-app SOS buttons, some linked to private armed response. New regulations under the Department of Transport have moved toward requiring physical panic buttons and enhanced trip tracking in e-hailing vehicles. NEFSA has called for a dedicated government task team to address the long-standing pattern of attacks. Official SAPS statistics do not maintain a separate crime code solely for e-hailing drivers, so incidents are recorded under broader categories such as carjacking, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and murder.
Driver brutally assaulted during robbery, prompting social media users to help locate suspects. pic.twitter.com/7OxGBmGoGU
— PrimeTime News (@PrimeTimeNewsZA) August 14, 2026
These figures and case reports reflect the scale of vehicle-related violent crime affecting e-hailing operators across multiple provinces, concentrated in high-density urban and township areas.
Mother and boyfriend arrested after disabled 6-year-old dies of alleged rape and murder in Touws River
A 28-year-old mother and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape, murder and neglect of a disabled six-year-old girl in Touws River, Western Cape.
The girl died on Monday, 3 August 2026, in Belma Way, Touws River, a town outside Worcester. Police have charged the pair with murder, rape and child neglect. The male suspect is not the child’s biological father.
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed the child sustained multiple injuries. These included bruises, a broken leg, and evidence of sodomy. Gwala stated that the full circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
The mother and her boyfriend had been living together in Touws River since the previous year. Community members from the close-knit area gathered at the local magistrate’s court on Thursday, 13 August 2026, in anticipation of the suspects’ appearance. Neither appeared as expected.
According to the child’s grandmother, the 28-year-old mother is currently hospitalised. She is pregnant and was not well enough to attend court. Funeral arrangements for the child have not yet begun because social workers are still conducting their investigations.
The grandmother described the family’s difficulty processing the events, noting that no one expects such harm to come to a child, particularly a grandchild. She indicated she did not know the boyfriend well.
Investigations by police and social workers continue. No further official details on the sequence of events, exact cause of death beyond the reported injuries, or additional charges have been released publicly at this stage.
Woman dies after rock thrown from bridge strikes vehicle on R24 in Bedfordview
A woman was killed on Friday morning, 14 August 2026, when a large rock thrown from a bridge struck her vehicle on the R24 freeway in Bedfordview, Ekurhuleni.
According to Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) spokesperson Chief Superintendent Kelebogile Thepa, the EMPD freeway unit responded to the incident on the R24 eastbound, just before the Gillooly’s Interchange, at approximately 7.38am. The rock was thrown from the Concord Road Bridge onto the freeway. It smashed through the vehicle’s windscreen, striking the driver and causing head injuries. She lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the road barriers. The driver was certified dead at the scene.
An inquest docket has been opened for investigation at Bedfordview police station. The EMPD has appealed to anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could assist the investigation to come forward and provide it to the relevant authorities.
Local community representatives have highlighted prior similar incidents in the area. Bedfordview Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson Colin McKenzie stated that he was aware of at least two previous incidents involving stones being thrown onto the freeway. Those earlier cases resulted in vehicle damage and at least one injury. McKenzie described the Friday incident as very tragic and disturbing for motorists, who should be able to travel without fearing objects being thrown at their vehicles. He indicated that the CPF was looking at increasing surveillance on bridges, with cameras linked to a 24-hour control centre to allow security teams to monitor activity and respond to suspicious behaviour. He said the immediate priority was to install cameras, raise the necessary funds, and then monitor them. The CPF was also seeking camera footage and other information that could be handed to police.
Bedfordview ward councillor Jill Humphreys said the community was deeply disturbed. Residents were sharing information while authorities checked available CCTV camera footage for possible evidence. Humphreys stated that security was needed on all the bridges.
A local report from Bedfordview Edenvale News referred to the location in connection with the Van Der Linde Bridge crossing the R24 and noted that Ward 20 councillor Jill Humphreys had reported the incident. That report also referenced earlier rock-throwing activity in the broader area, including an incident on the N12 near Gillooly’s in July 2026 in which a vehicle’s windscreen was shattered. In that earlier case, the victims later recounted having to sit across from an alleged perpetrator while giving statements at Bedfordview SAPS. Sanral had previously indicated plans to tighten security measures on the N12 following reports of rock-throwing.
No further details regarding the identity of the deceased driver, the exact size or origin of the rock, or any potential suspects have been released by police. Investigations continue under the inquest docket at Bedfordview police station. Authorities continue to urge members of the public with any relevant information or footage to contact the police or the Bedfordview CPF.
The R24 is a major freeway route in the east of Johannesburg, and the section near Gillooly’s Interchange and the Concord Road Bridge carries significant traffic volumes, particularly during morning peak periods.
One Killed, More Than 20 Injured in Multi-Vehicle Crash on Old Richmond Road in Mariannhill
A multi-vehicle collision on Old Richmond Road in the KwaNdengezi area of Mariannhill, west of Durban, left one person dead and more than 20 others injured on the morning of Friday, 14 August 2026.
The crash involved three vehicles: a truck, a fully loaded minibus taxi carrying passengers, and a bakkie with multiple occupants. Emergency services, including ALS Paramedics, responded to the scene. The taxi was reportedly travelling with people heading to work, while the truck was also en route to a workplace.
ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson described the scene as chaotic, with several people trapped or seriously injured. One person, believed to be a male in his 30s, sustained fatal injuries at the scene. Other casualties suffered injuries ranging from moderate to critical.
The road was closed in both directions for several hours to allow emergency personnel to treat the injured, extricate those trapped, and enable authorities to investigate the cause of the collision. The exact circumstances of how the vehicles collided remain under investigation.
Initial reports from emergency responders on scene described a horrific multi-vehicle crash. Confirmed details later established one fatality and more than 20 people injured.
Motorists in the Mariannhill and surrounding areas were advised to avoid the location where possible and expect delays while the scene was cleared.
