The minibus taxi industry is almost entirely owned and operated by black South Africans, making it one of the country’s most successful examples of black self-empowerment. With over 300,000 minibus taxis transporting millions of passengers daily, the industry is vital to the South African economy, supporting labour mobility, productivity and access to opportunity. Yet despite its impressive turnover and employment footprint, many taxi operators, estimated to be over 170,000, have historically participated mainly as consumers within their own industry, while larger suppliers and service providers captured the greater share of economic value.

To address this imbalance, the Department of Transport (DoT) introduced commercially viable opportunities through the Revised Taxi Recapitalisation Programme (RTRP). In response, TRSA was established to action sustainable transformation and empowerment across the minibus taxi industry. TRSA supports improvements to operational efficiencies, formalisation and professionalism across the industry.

Our empowerment projects spans a wide spectrum of services, including access to spare parts and maintenance centres, cashless fare solution, mobile communication platforms and improved operational processes. By supporting participation across the entire minibus taxi value chain, TRSA ensures that taxi operators can actively own and benefit from key economic elements of the industry.

Through these initiatives, the minibus taxi industry will evolve into a modern, resilient and thriving sector where operators are not only public transport service providers but also active participants in value creation, unlocking sustainable growth and long term transformation