Home Lifestyle Taxify could be your Uber replacement

Taxify could be your Uber replacement

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Uber revolutionized the idea of ride sharing. In the same way that Google-ing something refers to searching, Uber has entered our lexicon. However, I’ve been using Uber less and less lately – it seems to have gotten far too expensive for my taste. Plus, there have been the horrible stories coming out about how Uber treats its people that make it hard for me to support them. Finally, there was this story about the rampant sexism within Uber that made me think I needed to put my money where my mouth is and find an alternative, which could just be Taxify.

Taxify is a fairly new service, operating in Joburg, Cape Town and Durban. It has a similar system to Uber – you download the app, sign up and get a ride to where you need to go. You can check pricing beforehand, and share your location with friends/family so that they know where you are along the journey. But, there are some nice perks to Taxify as compared to Uber that go beyond just making you feel like a better person.

Taxify drivers accept cash, so for those without online-viable cards, you can still make use of the service. But even better, Taxify is significantly cheaper than Uber. I did a quick check and found that if my hairier half were to use the service to get to work, it would cost R35-50 as compared to Uber’s R54. To get from home to Neighborgoods market (in the heart of Jozi), it would cost R135-180 with Taxify as compared to R230 with Uber. It’s important to note that unlike with Uber, Taxify does not do surge pricing. They do, however, charge for distance and time. So, if you’re stuck in rush hour traffic, your journey will still cost more than if you ride during off-peak times, but at least you should be able to use Taxify after major events around town and not get hit with ridiculous surge-induced bills.

It’s worth noting, Uber has their unique pricing so that unsuspecting tourists don’t get, um, taken for a ride by drivers who use long circuitous routes to get to their destinations. I’d be curious if or how Taxify would combat this scenario. Still, if you’re looking to uninstall Uber but still need a way to get around, Taxify could be a viable alternative.

Also, if you currently have an Uber car on the road, I’ve chatted to a friend who runs both Uber and Taxify, and he said Taxify was way easier to get signed up and going, and their communication and support has been top notch. Plus, it sounds like Taxify might be even more profitable for drivers/fleet owners. So, if you drive around to earn extra money, or if you have a car on the road earning you money, it might be worthwhile to look into Taxify.

Last Updated: February 22, 2017

12 Comments

  1. Gavin Mannion

    February 21, 2017 at 12:09

    I also feel the Uber price has been going up but they are denying it… It just feels more now

    Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      February 21, 2017 at 12:10

      That said.. I’m not sure I love the fact that someone is simply copying them and profiting off it…

      Reply

      • Original Heretic

        February 21, 2017 at 12:46

        You’ve just described 90% of businesses out there. Take someone else’s good idea and use it to make money.

        Reply

      • Zoe Hawkins

        February 21, 2017 at 12:59

        isn’t that all business, though? take a good idea, improve upon it, profit. 😛

        Reply

      • Fox1 - Retro

        February 21, 2017 at 13:17

        *waits for the iTaxi app from Apple*

        Reply

  2. Captain JJ

    February 21, 2017 at 12:45

    Cool. I’ve not used Uber myself, but it’s always good to have more than one option of a service. Competition motivates service quality.

    Reply

  3. miaau

    February 21, 2017 at 12:58

    Never used a service like this, but good to know about various options, if it becomes a crisis.

    Not cheap, though, but then again, how much does it take to keep my car running, per KM?

    Reply

    • Zoe Hawkins

      February 21, 2017 at 13:00

      not sure what it is now, but a while back i was told to charge R2.5 per km when I traveled for work stuff. might cover petrol but probably not insurance, wear and tear, etc.

      Reply

  4. Andre116

    February 21, 2017 at 13:12

    I believe that in Joburg you also get Zebra taxis that does the same thing. Unfortunately not available here in CT yet.

    Reply

  5. konfab

    February 21, 2017 at 14:01

    Stellenbosch has a nice new system (which I would have killed for when I was studying).
    http://go-tuktuk.co.za/#about

    Basically it is a get on-get off taxi system using Tuk Tuks. You pay a daily rate, which gets cheaper if you buy in bulk. If you buy for a year, it figures to around R10 a day.

    Reply

    • Captain JJ

      February 21, 2017 at 14:06

      When I was at uni there was this guy with one of those tiny fold-up scooters. You would call him, he’d drive over, fold up his scooter and put it in your boot and drive you home in your own car.

      Reply

  6. Chesley Rogerson

    February 22, 2017 at 00:11

    Uber accepts cash now tho.

    Reply

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