Uber may be operating illegally in South Africa after missing March 11 e-hailing registration deadline

Uber South Africa has been operating unlawfully for almost two months due to its failure to secure required registration from the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR) by the deadline.

The National Land Transport Amendment (NLTA) Act, published in September 2025, officially acknowledged the e-hailing industry and required e-hailing companies and drivers to register.

These platforms had until March 11, 2026, to comply, a 180-day grace period. However, as of May 7, 2026, Uber had not confirmed that it had received its registration certificate. Furthermore, there is no official record that the company’s application even reached step three (publication) of the seven-step registration process.

Not registering has serious consequences. The Department of Transport has warned that drivers using unregistered platforms are “automatically illegal.” These drivers also cannot apply for their own operating licences until their platform is registered, leaving them in a difficult situation through no fault of their own.

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Uber stated that it submitted its application before the deadline, but the National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR) did not complete the company’s registration in time. The department is aware of processing delays, and a transport spokesperson, Collen Msibi, said that they would announce whether the deadline could be extended during the department’s budget speech on May 12, 2026. At the time of reporting, the deadline had not been officially extended.

Bolt complied before deadline while Uber faces delays

The company’s main competitor handled the requirement much better. Bolt applied in November 2025, shortly after the NLTA Act took effect. They received their registration certificate on February 27, 2026, well before the deadline. Wanatu, based in Pretoria, was the first to receive a certificate on February 12, 2026.

Other companies have completed the application process without issues, which makes Uber’s difficulties puzzling. The delay in publishing Uber’s gazette notice (step three of seven) suggests that Uber may have submitted its application much later than they claim, and not “well before” the deadline.

The registration process requires, among other things, that platforms demonstrate app functionality including mandatory safety features, and that all vehicles be branded and fitted with panic buttons. Drivers must also separately register for individual operating permits.

If Uber faces fines or penalties from authorities for not complying with regulations, the company will probably fight these actions in court. This is especially true if the company can prove that the delay was due to the regulator’s slow processing, not its own mistakes.

This potential legal battle might be why the department is thinking about giving the ehailing giant more time to comply, even though the law doesn’t officially allow for it.