Driver Sunet Witbooi dreams of the day when she has her own taxi business

Sunet Witbooi faces many challenges in the taxi industry, the biggest being the sexism she experiences daily from both colleagues and passengers. But she’s no pushover.

 

“The main challenge I face is being in a male-dominated environment where I am not being acknowledged as a co-worker, but rather as just a woman. The other taxi drivers do not mind their tongue when speaking to me.

 

“Some challenges I face are from the commuters. Some of the people we transport are not friendly; there’ve been a few times when I have had to put my foot down and demand respect,” she says, adding that there is great potential in encouraging greater participation by women in the taxi industry.

 

“I would like to see more young women in the industry because currently it’s dominated by men. We have plenty of young women who do not have enough money to further their studies after matric and this is an option they can explore. The government could help by assisting these women to get their driver’s licences and get into the industry.

 

“(And) on the respect front, the government should work closely with the taxi associations, where men can be taught and encouraged to be better co-workers to females,” she states.

 

But it’s not all bad, says Witbooi, of Barkly West in the Northern Cape, who has driven a taxi for her father since 2019, covering several routes.

 

“The taxi industry is a good but challenging venture. I say it is good, because as a driver you get to meet different people daily and build relationships with your customers. In the three years that I have been driving, I’ve met plenty of people and my whole perception of the taxi industry has changed because of those interactions,” she says.

 

“My family started this business in 2007, when my father was the main driver. I was not interested at first but about three years back, I became more hands-on. I started as a driver myself in one of my father’s taxis, after seeing how the drivers were coming and going and would misuse the vehicles. It was also an opportunity, since I was not working, and I could save some money.”

 

While she does not own an old taxi vehicle to scrap as part of the Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme, she has been aware of this initiative since 2005. But she feels more can be done to publicise it.

 

“I thought the project had been stopped because I remember some of the taxi owners and drivers at the time not being happy with the initiative. I realised the programme was still running when I came across [a TRSA] Facebook post. I think there should be a workshop to have more people aware of the programme. There could also be a presentation to taxi owners. The information might be widespread that way,” says Witbooi.

 

“When used wisely, the [taxi scrapping allowance] would assist to grow one’s business. Maybe when the scrapping allowance is paid, TRSA could send (details of) different dealerships that a person could explore to buy a new taxi, or the different dealerships could be presented at workshops.”

 

Witbooi says that she plans to become “fully capacitated in the taxi industry”, and ultimately strike out on her own: “My dream now is to get some financial and training assistance, so I can start my own business in the taxi industry.”