Share

Ndebele: Taxi airline will promote BEE

Johannesburg - The launch of a low cost airline by the SA National Taxi Council (Santaco) will help to bring the black-owned taxi industry more firmly into the mainstream economy, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said on Friday.

"We have repeatedly been asking: where are blacks and particularly Africans? We have constantly maintained that the taxi industry, which is black-owned, controlled and run, cannot forever remain at the margins in economic terms," he said.

"We believe the taxi industry is a key player in the transport sector. This important industry will no longer be defined primarily by violence and disorder."

Santaco announced the launch on Wednesday.

"I can see some of you rolling your eyes because of how our taxi drivers drive... I can assure you we won't allow our taxi drivers to drive (the planes)," Nkululeko Buthelezi, a Santaco business developer, told potential investors and reporters in Johannesburg.

The Santaco Express would be officially launched on September 16 and would begin flying by November, he said.

Buthelezi said Santaco was looking at routes such as Lanseria to Bhisho, which made sense for customers who often made a 14-hour road trip for a funeral only to return five hours later.

Santaco, which represents 95% of the South African taxi industry, had commissioned the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research to investigate how much their airline would contribute to the country's gross domestic product.

Santaco had also announced plans to expand into other transport modes such as buses and trains.

 
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.92
+0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.87
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.1%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders