Cape Town’s “Uber for Bakkies” Hits 10 000 Rides in 30 Days – Drivers Earn R38 000+ Each

CAPE TOWN, 3 December 2025 – A Salt River startup has quietly become the fastest-growing transport app in the Western Cape. Vula Bakkie, launched just five weeks ago, connects homeowners with verified bakkie owners for instant furniture, building material and rubbish removals – and it’s exploding.

Yesterday the app recorded its 10 000th completed trip. The top 20 drivers in November pocketed between R28 000 and R38 400 after commission, with Khayelitsha’s Andile Mokoena topping the leaderboard at R38 210.

“People phone friends with bakkies and wait hours,” says co-founder Lwazi Nkosi (28). “We give a price upfront and a driver arrives in under 25 minutes – no WhatsApp voice notes needed.”

Users love the fixed pricing (R350 base + R9 per km) and live tracking. Drivers love that 80% of every fare goes straight to them – far higher than traditional ride-hailing apps.

Safety features include ID verification, vehicle photos and real-time trip sharing. Crime concerns? Zero hijackings or assaults reported so far.

The app is already live in Cape Town, Stellenbosch and Paarl, with Joburg expansion planned for January. Google Play reviews sit at 4.9 stars, with users calling it “the app Cape Town has been praying for”.

Need a bakkie now? Search “Vula Bakkie” in your app store – your rubble (or new couch) won’t move itself.