Bolt passengers in South Africa can no longer book a ride anonymously. Starting this week, the platform requires users to upload their ID numbers and selfies before they can request a trip. Bolt says the change is about safety and accountability, and honestly, it has been a long time coming.
Drivers have been asking for exactly this. Across South Africa's ride-hailing industry, safety has become one of the sharpest points of tension. Driver groups, including the National E-Hailers Federation of South Africa, have raised concerns about robberies, hijackings, and violent attacks. Their argument is straightforward: drivers hand over licences, permits, vehicle details, and personal information to operate on these platforms. Passengers, until now, could ride under the cover of anonymity.
The move also fits into a bigger regulatory moment. South Africa's amended National Land Transport Act is pushing to formalise the ride-hailing sector and introduce stronger safety measures across the board. Not every proposal has landed well, though. Some drivers have pushed back on requirements like vehicle branding, arguing that clearly marked e-hailing cars can actually make them easier targets.
The real question now is whether Bolt's competitors follow. When one major platform raises the bar on verification and regulators are already watching, the pressure on Indriver, Uber, and others to match that standard grows quickly. Nobody wants to be the app where bad actors feel at home.
Whether passengers see a selfie upload as a fair trade for a safer ride will likely decide how fast the rest of the industry moves.
Originally published by TechCabal.