IN A move hailed as a watershed moment for South Africa’s taxi and informal business sectors, the South African National Taxi Council (SANTACO) Western Cape has unveiled the country’s first real-time prepaid fuel payment system, signalling a major breakthrough in financial inclusion and transport efficiency.
The game-changing solution, developed by fintech innovator BTCorp in partnership with Umanyano Travel Services, the Western Cape Transport Department, and Shell South Africa, marks the first time a major oil company has agreed to process fuel purchases from taxi operators without requiring traditional financial guarantees.
Digital fuel wallet sets new fintech benchmark
At the heart of this new system is the BTCorp Fuel Wallet, a secure digital wallet that allows taxi owners to pre-load funds and pay for fuel instantly at participating stations. The wallet uses stablecoin-backed payment rails to process transactions in real-time, eliminating the need for pooled funds or delayed settlements and drastically reducing financial risk for all parties involved.
“This is a real revolution in both fintech and transport,” said Theo Barkley, CEO of BTCorp. “We’re not just solving a payment problem, we’re changing how the industry manages liquidity, transparency, and operational control.”
Taxi owners and drivers, many of whom operate in cash-based, high-risk environments, will now be able to manage fuel budgets more efficiently, avoid the dangers of cash handling, and gain access to clearer financial records. The move is expected to unlock new levels of creditworthiness, data transparency, and financial participation for thousands of small business operators in the sector.
Shell signs on to pilot breakthrough solution
In a historic first, Shell South Africa has agreed to pilot the prepaid wallet system across selected fuel stations, positioning itself at the forefront of transport fintech innovation. Crucially, Shell’s participation came without requiring traditional collateral or guarantees, an unprecedented step in the historically conservative fuel retail sector.
Aluwani Museisi, Country Chair at Shell Downstream South Africa, praised a new era for the transport industry. “It’s been a long journey, nearly two years in developing the platform. The taxi industry is big in terms of fuel consumption. We normally require large bank guarantees, but we’ve always believed in the taxi industry. So to be a part of a platform that rewards the drivers, taxi owners and dealers, every stakeholder, is a significant achievement.”
Five years in the making, five regions set to launch
The solution, five years in development, is being rolled out across all eight taxi regions in the Western Cape beginning July 2025. The system was spearheaded by Umanyano Travel Services, SANTACO Western Cape’s commercial arm, working closely with tech partners BTCorp, payments firm Ecentric, and the provincial transport department.
“This is a milestone. It’s historical that Shell and all the other parties have decided to partner with the taxi industry, which conveys the poorest of the poor. We are excited that the breakdown of every litre of fuel and every cent makes its way to even the driver. Our king of the business is the driver. We’re thankful that this programme can support us financially, to achieve our financial goals,” said Ivan Waldeck, CFO of Umanyano Travel Services and Treasurer of SANTACO Western Cape.
Transforming informal economies
With over 200,000 taxis operating nationally, the minibus taxi industry is a cornerstone of South Africa’s transport ecosystem and one of its most informal.
A new era of efficiency and accountability
Unlike legacy fleet cards or pooled accounts, each taxi owner’s funds remain in their personal Fuel Wallet – accessible only by them. Every transaction is processed instantly, creating a clear audit trail and eliminating settlement delays between drivers, owners, and fuel stations. For the first time, SANTACO members will have complete oversight of fuel spending, down to the litre.
