Tshwane – A new dawn is breaking for e-hailing drivers in South Africa, with the launch of Shesha, a locally developed app that is quickly gaining popularity for its driver-centric approach and enhanced safety measures. Hundreds of drivers have already made the switch, drawn by promises of fairer treatment and improved working conditions compared to established platforms.
Shesha's project manager, Portia Keleketu, recently engaged with e-hailing drivers at the Kopanong Community Hall in Soshanguve, Tshwane, to outline the app's value proposition. She explained that Shesha has already established driver structures in areas such as Soshanguve, Mabopane, and Ga-Rankuwa, with plans to expand its reach across the country and eventually, internationally.
"The purpose was to give them a value proposition of Shesha. It's to engage with them what Shesha is about. We will continue engaging drivers in different places," Keleketu said, highlighting the app's commitment to open communication and collaboration with its drivers.
According to Keleketu, Shesha, which launched in May 2024, has already registered over 4,000 drivers. "We have incentives to uplift their lives, and there are benefits as well," she added, emphasizing the app's focus on improving the financial well-being of its drivers.
Lesiba Manaka, deputy chairman of the Tshwane Regional E-hailing Association, echoed this sentiment, stating: "We are happy as drivers about the benefits offered by Shesha. It will uplift us and change our lives. It's different from other apps. It's a South African app. It will make our lives easier."
Manaka praised Shesha's development team for their responsiveness to driver feedback. "Compared to other apps, they've done a good job in terms of development. It's fast and good. It's still new, and Shesha understands our suggestions," he said.
Shesha driver John Maloka highlighted the app's enhanced safety features, stating: "We are verified, and clients are verified too. When I encounter any problem, there's a place where I know I can go." He added that this verification process protects drivers from potential threats. "This is an amazing app. We are all safe here. You can't operate without proper documents."
Another Shesha driver, Kgosi Digwamaje-Mlandeni, emphasized the unique benefits offered by the platform. "The difference between other e-hailing apps and this one is because it has benefits. There are funeral benefits as well," he said.
Shesha's emergence comes after two years of extensive research into safety concerns within South Africa's e-hailing industry. The findings of these studies revealed alarming statistics, including the fact that one of the established competitors had blocked over 6,000 drivers this year alone.
Mindful of these challenges, Shesha has implemented stringent verification processes, linking its system to the Department of Home Affairs to ensure the authenticity of both drivers and riders.
Shesha's interim spokesperson, Nomsa Mdhluli, explained: "With the smartcard ID, home affairs now has records of your biometrics, it has records of your facial recognition so when you sign up as a rider, it matches this with your Home Affairs details, and this will be verified in real time. Our drivers go through the same process and we check their criminal records as well."
Mdhluli added that the driver verification process also includes background checks with various banks.
Shesha’s stance is that their approach increases rider safety by at least 70% because should unforeseen circumstances arise, the driver’s personal details – including last known addresses – are easily traceable.
Of the 30 000 drivers who have registered in the past two months, 5 000 have been approved. As with any other fraternity, industry experienced drivers take preference.
Mdhluli pointed out that they have already identified fraudulent documents among the applications received thus far.
She said: "The system with home affairs is working because we were able to pick up falsified documents. If your biometric and your face recognition do not match the ID number you have given us, then this immediately raises red flags. We can’t take that risk, so we reject the application. We also reject applications from drivers who have been dismissed for ill-behaviour from Bolt, Uber and other service providers."
Unlike other service providers whose prices fluctuate based on traffic volumes, peak hours, weather and other factors, Shesha prices are fixed.
Mdhluli highlighted the concerns that have arisen from existing service providers when dealing with cash paying customers, saying Shesha is strictly cashless.
She elaborated: "There have been hundreds of incidences where people request rides and when they get to destination, they suddenly tell the driver that they don’t have money, or that they are short. To counter this, we are using a sort of prepaid system called an S-Wallet where you load money in advance using your banking app or you can buy a voucher at any of the leading supermarkets."
The Shesha team believes that this feature is going to simplify the lives of tourists who do not have bank accounts, individuals who struggle with the technology of banking apps and riders who simply prefer the supermarket route.
