By Anita Dangazele
- Taxi drivers in Gqeberha say they struggle to pay for fuel and food as petrol prices continue to increase.
- Many drivers now work for themselves because they can no longer afford to pay workers to drive their cars.
Jikeleza taxi drivers in Walmer township in Gqeberha say they are battling to survive as petrol prices keep rising.
Mongameli Swartbooi is 37 years old and uses his own car to transport people around the township. He says making R300 a day is now considered lucky.
These taxis mainly operate inside townships and do not travel into town. A trip costs R15 within Walmer and R25 to Milkwoods social housing. Swartbooi says some days they struggle to find passengers. This makes it harder to cover fuel costs and still support their families.
He says many drivers have stopped hiring workers because they cannot afford wages anymore. Everyone currently operating is an owner. They cannot afford to hire drivers because they make very little money. The little they make goes to feeding their families.
Fuel prices have increased several times in recent months. This has put pressure on transport costs across the country. For small operators like jikeleza drivers, this means less money at the end of the day.
Drivers say higher living costs and fewer passengers are making things worse. They now rely on small daily earnings to cover both fuel and food.
For many, the job is no longer enough to provide a stable income. Swartbooi said: “You’re lucky if you make R300 a day.”
Pictured above: Jikeleza taxi drivers in Walmer say rising petrol prices are cutting their daily earnings and making it harder to support their families.
Image source: Anita Dangazele
