Sexual violence in South Africa: women share their stories about the dangers of commuting on minibus taxis

By Jarred H Martin

Millions of people use minibus taxis to get around South Africa every day. These “pillars of public transport” (which are privately owned and run rather than operated by the state) account for 66.5% of all public transport on the country’s roads.

The vast majority of minibus taxi commuters come from lower-income and historically marginalised communities of colour that still bear the brunt of apartheid era spatial planning. They often don’t live close to their offices or schools and typically experience longer commuting times.

Unfortunately taxis are not necessarily safe for women. They are like so many other public spaces in a country with some of the world’s highest rates of sexual violence and murder of women by men.

Women’s lives in South Africa are often characterised by the threat of sexual violence. Research about homes, schools, workplaces and university campuses has
consistently highlighted how the threat of sexual harassment and violence makes women feel unsafe in the everyday spaces they occupy and move through.