By 
By Ross Moyo
Bolt, InDrive, GoFaster, TAP N GO, Kose and other e-hailing services are set to get new operational rules
as Zimbabwe’s app-based taxi wars just got a 5-month timeout.
Cabinet has granted a five-month moratorium to e-hailing operators, meaning platforms like Bolt, InDrive, GoFaster, Tap & Go and KOSE will continue operating while Government works on new regulations for the sector.
The decision was announced Tuesday by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda.
THE TECH ECOSYSTEM GETS BREATHING ROOM
In simple terms, the moratorium means Government is pausing the implementation of new or contentious regulatory measures while it consults operators and stakeholders.
The platforms affected: Bolt, InDrive, Tap & Go, GoFaster and KOSE, among others.
“Cabinet recognised the important role being played by e-hailing services, which have provided convenient, affordable and dignified transport while creating employment, particularly for young people,” Zhemu said.
For millions in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare, these apps have become the default. Tap a phone. Get a ride. Pay by wallet or cash. No more street negotiations.
THE PROBLEM: REGULATION LAGGING BEHIND INNOVATION
The sector has grown faster than the law.
Key challenges cited by Government:
1. Lack of clear rules around driver vetting, insurance, and passenger safety
2. Tax leakage – most drivers and platforms not fully in the Zimra system
3. Ease of doing business – conflicting council, ZRP and transport requirements
“However, the sector has faced regulatory challenges, which Government said were undermining the ease of doing business,” Zhemu noted.
WHAT GOVT WANTS: SELF-REGULATION + TAX COMPLIANCE
Cabinet has set 2 immediate directives during the 5 months:
1. Self-Regulating Framework
The Ministry of Transport will develop regulations after consulting industry players and benchmarking international best practices. The goal: clear rules for companies, operators and drivers, “particularly around driver conduct and passenger safety.”
This signals a shift from heavy-handed bans to co-regulation — similar to models in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa where Uber and Bolt help set safety standards.
2. Zimra Registration Mandate
“Cabinet also directed that e-hailing transport businesses to begin registering with the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) for tax purposes. Operators who are already registered will be required to apply for tax registration.”
That means Bolt, InDrive, KOSE, GoFaster and Tap n Go will need to submit driver data, trip data, and remit taxes. For drivers, it means formalizing income.
THE TECH ANGLE: DATA, SAFETY, PAYMENTS
The next 5 months will likely focus on 3 tech pillars:
1. API Integration: Will Government demand real-time trip data from Bolt, InDrive etc for safety and tax?
2. Digital KYC: Linking driver licences, police clearance and vehicle papers to app onboarding
3. Cashless Payments
: Tap n Go already has a payments brand. Expect push for wallet/card over cash to improve traceability
For passengers, Minister Zhemu said the review is aimed at ensuring services “remain safe, secure, convenient and affordable.”
NDS2 ALIGNMENT
The measures fall under National Development Strategy 2, which seeks to “promote an enabling business environment while improving service delivery.”
With youth unemployment high, e-hailing has become a digital job creator. One Bolt or KOSE driver can support a family of 5. A crackdown without a framework risked killing that.
WHAT HAPPENS IN 5 MONTHS?
By February 2027, expect:
– A gazetted e-hailing policy
– Mandatory Zimra tax compliance for all platforms
– Safety standards: panic buttons, trip sharing, driver background checks
– Possible licensing fees per vehicle/platform
Until then, Bolt, InDrive, GoFaster, Tap n Go and KOSE operate as normal.
This is not deregulation. It’s delayed regulation.
Government realized you can’t ban the app and expect kombis to absorb the demand overnight. So it chose consultation over confrontation.
For Bolt, InDrive, GoFaster, Tap n Go and KOSE, the next 150 days are critical. Use them to clean data, register drivers, and help write the rules.
Because after the moratorium, “convenient and affordable” will have to also mean “compliant and taxable.”
The app has won the streets. Now it must win the policy table.
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