Western Cape taxi fares rise as commuters face new transport costs

For thousands of people across the Western Cape, the cost of getting to work is about to go up again, and for many, there is simply no room left in the monthly budget.

From Monday, commuters using minibus taxis in several parts of the province will see fares increase by between R2 and R5 per trip, while some long-distance routes between the Western Cape and Eastern Cape will jump by as much as R150, as reported by EWN.

The announcement was made by taxi associations during a media briefing in Bellville on Thursday, with operators pointing to rising fuel costs as the main reason for the adjustment.

For regular commuters, especially those already taking two or more taxis a day, that increase may sound small on paper, but in practice, it quickly adds up.

A worker commuting daily to Cape Town’s commercial areas explained just how stretched things already are.

‘I’m already spending R1,000 to go from home to work, and I’m actually struggling with it as it is. Now imagine if the prices are increasing, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to afford that.’

That frustration is likely shared across the city.

In many parts of Cape Town, minibus taxis remain the backbone of transport, especially in areas where train services remain unreliable and buses don’t fully cover routes. For shift workers, retail staff, domestic workers and those commuting from outer suburbs, taxis are not optional, they’re the only realistic way to get to work on time.

The fare increase lands at a difficult moment for households already dealing with rising grocery prices, electricity costs and higher monthly bills. Transport often becomes one of the first pressures people feel because it is a daily expense that cannot easily be avoided.

Taxi operators say the increase is tied directly to fuel, which has become increasingly volatile in recent months. International oil supply disruptions linked to conflict in the Middle East have pushed prices upward, creating a knock-on effect across South Africa’s transport sector.

While motorists feel it at the pump, public transport users often absorb the cost indirectly through fare hikes.

The latest changes may also affect people beyond Cape Town itself. Passengers travelling between the Western Cape and Eastern Cape, a common route for workers, students and families, will now pay an extra R150 for those longer trips, making visits home even more expensive.

That matters particularly in a province where many residents maintain family ties across both regions and travel regularly between them.

Taxi associations have said there are currently no further fare increases planned, even though another fuel increase is expected next month. But for many commuters, that reassurance may offer little comfort.

The reality is that transport has become one of the clearest markers of South Africa’s cost-of-living crisis. A few rand extra per trip may not seem dramatic in isolation, but across a month, it can mean the difference between buying groceries, topping up electricity, or simply making it to work.

And in Cape Town, where commuting often begins before sunrise and ends long after dark, that extra burden is being carried by the people who can least afford it.