In late May 2026, inDrive received formal registration from South Africa's National Public Transport Regulator (NPTR), making it the third major e-hailing platform to operate legally in the country — and the only one with a truly zero-commission model.
For drivers already feeling squeezed by record petrol prices (R24.93/L as of June 2026) and Uber's 25% commission, this could be a game-changer. But is it too good to be true? Here's everything you need to know.
inDrive (formerly inDriver) was founded in Yakutsk, Russia in 2013 and has expanded to over 40 countries. It's now one of the fastest-growing ride-hailing apps in Africa.
The key difference: negotiable fares. Instead of an algorithm setting the price, riders suggest a fare, and drivers can accept, decline, or counter-offer. Think of it as e-hailing with built-in haggling.
But the real draw for drivers is the pricing model:
South Africa's National Land Transport Act requires e-hailing platforms to be registered with the NPTR. Until now, inDrive operated in a legal grey area — functional but not formally approved.
NPTR registration means:
| Feature | inDrive | Uber | Bolt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | R3–R5/trip flat fee | 25% | 15–20% |
| Fare model | Negotiable | Algorithm-set | Algorithm-set |
| NPTR registered | Yes (May 2026) | Partial | Yes |
| SA cities | JHB, CPT, DBN + others | All major cities | All major cities |
| Ride volume | Growing (lower) | Highest | High |
| Driver support | In-app, limited | Greenlight hubs | In-app + offices |
| Payment | Cash + card | Cash + card | Cash + card |
Let's look at what a driver actually takes home on a R100 fare:
| Platform | Fare | Platform fee | Driver keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| inDrive | R100 | R3–R5 | R95–R97 |
| Bolt | R100 | R15–R20 | R80–R85 |
| Uber | R100 | R25 | R75 |
On a typical day of 20 trips averaging R80 each (R1,600 gross):
| Platform | Gross | Platform takes | Before fuel |
|---|---|---|---|
| inDrive | R1,600 | R60–R100 | R1,500–R1,540 |
| Bolt | R1,600 | R240–R320 | R1,280–R1,360 |
| Uber | R1,600 | R400 | R1,200 |
That's R300–R340 more per day on inDrive compared to Uber — or roughly R6,000–R6,800 more per month (20 working days). Even vs Bolt, inDrive puts R200–R260 more in your pocket daily.
Before you delete the Uber driver app, consider the downsides:
Most experienced SA drivers don't pick one platform — they run multiple simultaneously. Here's the optimal strategy:
"I run all three. Uber for volume, Bolt when Uber is quiet, and inDrive for the longer trips where that 25% commission really hurts. It's not about choosing one — it's about knowing when each one pays best." — Sipho N., e-hailing driver, Johannesburg, 2026
To drive for inDrive in South Africa, you need:
The requirements are broadly similar to Uber and Bolt. See our step-by-step guide to becoming an e-hailing driver for the full process.
The FleetCalc profitability calculator lets you compare earnings across Uber, Bolt and inDrive. Enter your vehicle, hours, and rental costs to see exactly how much more (or less) you'd take home on each platform.
🧮 Compare Platform Earnings →Yes. inDrive received formal NPTR registration in May 2026, making it a fully legal and regulated e-hailing platform in South Africa.
inDrive does not charge a percentage commission. Instead, drivers pay a small flat platform fee (roughly R3–R5) per trip. On a R100 fare, you keep R95–R97 compared to R75 on Uber.
Yes. None of the major platforms prohibit multi-apping. Many experienced drivers run Uber, Bolt and inDrive simultaneously to maximise ride requests and earnings.
On average, inDrive drivers keep R20–R22 more per R100 fare compared to Uber drivers. Over a month of 400+ trips, that translates to roughly R6,000–R8,000 more — though inDrive has fewer riders, so you may do fewer trips.
Main risks: fewer riders (more waiting between trips), riders lowballing on negotiable fares, less support infrastructure than Uber/Bolt, and potential insurance gaps if your policy doesn't explicitly cover inDrive.