Bolt Highlights Safety Priorities as It Rolls Out Rider Identity Verification During Youth Month

Supplied image: Bolt South Africa announced the expansion of rider identity verification at its inaugural Rider & Passenger Safety Summit in Johannesburg on 12 June 2026.

The announcement coincides with Youth Month, highlighting the ongoing demand for safe, reliable transport for young South Africans navigating work, studies, and social lives.

A data-driven approach to safety

The rollout follows findings from the Ride-Hailing Safety Index Report, a study commissioned by Bolt and conducted by global research firm Ipsos. The data underscores just how critical safety features are to South African commuters:

• 90% of respondents choose ride-hailing because it feels safer than alternative transport options.
• 92% feel safer using ride-hailing when traveling at night.
• 96% agree that in-app safety features make ride-hailing a more secure travel option overall.

"The Ipsos research confirmed what we hear from riders every day: safety and trust are central to how South Africans choose to move around their cities," said Sbu Ngwane, senior general manager at Bolt South Africa.

Ngwane noted that while identity verification significantly enhances accountability, it is part of a much larger strategy. "Rider verification is not a silver bullet. No single feature can eliminate every safety incident on its own. That is why we continue to invest in a broader safety ecosystem that combines technology, education, partnerships, and collaboration with law enforcement."

How the verification process works

The verification process has been designed to be simple, secure, and convenient for everyday users.

• Prompt: Riders are prompted to input their South African ID number and take a selfie within the app.
• Automated review: In most cases, the system completes verification automatically within minutes via a trusted partner connected to Department of Home Affairs records.
• Alternative safeguard: If immediate automated verification fails, riders are asked to upload an identity document for manual review.

While voluntary verification is already live for users nationwide, the official mandatory rollout is being implemented gradually across the country.

Protecting female commuters

Women’s safety took centre stage during the summit’s panel discussion, titled Beyond the App: Why Ride-Hailing Safety Requires All of Us. According to the Ipsos report, women account for 70% of ride-hailing users in South Africa, frequently choosing the service to mitigate late-night security risks and avoid harassment on public transport.

To address these concerns, Bolt highlighted its Women for Women category. This feature allows female passengers to explicitly request rides from verified female drivers, offering an extra layer of comfort and security.

Maximising in-app features

The summit also emphasised the need for passengers to actively use existing safety tools. The Ipsos study revealed that riders place the highest value on real-time GPS tracking (66%), live trip sharing (64%), and driver verification (61%).

Bolt continues to urge passengers to verify vehicle and driver details before entering a car, and to utilise built-in features such as Pick-Up Codes, Ride Check, Active Trip Monitoring, and the CASI-powered Emergency Assist button in the event of an incident.

Funding the future of security

The rider verification expansion is backed by a massive financial commitment. Globally, Bolt has pledged €100 million between 2024 and 2027 to upgrade platform safety technology and support infrastructure.

Locally, Bolt plans to channel these resources into ongoing safety innovations, passenger education campaigns, and deeper collaborative efforts with South African regulators and law enforcement.