By Palesa Matlala
- Lerato Mafera works night shifts and pays up to R230 per Uber trip to get home safely.
- She says she was nearly raped by a driver, but keeps using the service because she needs the job and the money.
In the final part of our Soweto Transport series, a young woman takes late-night Ubers just to get home. The price? Almost R230 a trip, and her safety.
Lerato Mafera*, 24, never thought she’d end up working night shifts at a pub and restaurant in Newtown, Johannesburg.
As a student studying early childhood education, she works every weekend from 6pm to 2am. Her only way home is by an e-hailing service, from Newtown to Orlando East in Soweto.
For six months, she shared rides with a colleague who later moved to Lenasia. She considered switching to a metered taxi, but it would have cost her R300 per night.
Now, she pays between R170 and R230 per trip, depending on the time and weather, costing her around R2,000 a month. “Prices go up when it rains, after 10pm, or near month-end when people get paid,” she said.
Despite the high cost, Mafera says the real issue is safety. “I thought metered taxis were safer because you deal with one driver. But I stuck with the e-hailing service.”
She said one driver cancelled her ride and convinced her to use a different route. When they reached her house, he told her, “You must thank your God and ancestors. I planned to rape you.”
She still takes the e-hailing service every weekend. “I need the money. I’m paying for my own studies. Most of my tips go to transport.”
According to Women for Change, a non-profit group, 73% of South African women feel unsafe using e-hailing services.
“I dread going to work, but I follow my gut when booking rides. I’m risking my life 12 days a month.”
*Name changed to protect her identity.
Catch up on the full Soweto Transport series:
Part One: Lungile Mafu wakes up at 3:30am to take delayed, overcrowded trains, just to keep his job.
Pictured above: Taxi sign.
Image source: Pexels
