How To Make Money From Bolt In South Africa

What is Bolt?

Bolt is a transportation app used for taking fast and affordable e-scooter rides. Skip the rush hour hassle and public transport headache, get there quickly, safely and conveniently on a Bolt Scooter!. They have e-scooters available to rent through the Bolt app. They’re super-easy (and fun!) to use.

How To Make Money From Bolt In South Africa

Let’s benchmark driving with Bolt vs a full-time job (40 hours a week). 

If you work the same number of hours as an average office worker, you can make up to R22 000 in Johannesburg and R20 000 in Cape Town. If you’re one of the top drivers in Johannesburg, you could make up to R30 000 at the end of the month. If you’re in Cape Town, you’d make R25 000.

Bolt driver earnings depend on two factors — performance and efficiency. To maximise your earnings, you need to capitalise on things like peak periods, bonuses, and surge pricing. But ultimately, your earnings will also depend on the total hours you drive.

What fees do Bolt drivers pay?

Bolt charges a commission of 23% on every trip in every city in South Africa

As a Bolt driver, you also need to factor in operational costs. We recommend you find out how to optimally deduct your operating costs (car repairs, fuel, etc.).

How to maximise your earnings

To help you increase your earnings, we’re sharing some tips from top-performing Bolt drivers!

Take advantage of bonus offers

To earn bonuses, you need to meet various prescribed bonus conditions, e.g., trips made during a certain period, the number of hours online, or average rating.

We’ll let you know about these by email, or you can see them in the Bolt driver app. We’ll include everything you need to know, including when the bonus is valid and its value. You can also view the bonus terms and conditions in the Rewards section of the app.

Read more about how to earn more with Bolt bonuses in this post (which includes bonus offers for newly registered drivers!).

Choose the best time to drive

As you get more experienced as a Bolt driver, you’ll learn the best times to get behind the wheel. The top drivers increase earnings by driving in the morning and evening rush hours and taking time off in low-demand hours. Remember: the more people that need a ride, the better your chances are of earning.

For example, on average, more passengers search for a ride on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., in the evenings from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday evenings. Take advantage of these peak driving times to maximise your earnings and minimise downtimes.

Be in the right place at the right time

Each city has its hotspot areas where more trips are requested. Drivers in these areas are likely to earn more due to a higher amount of trips completed and higher surge pricing. Here are some recommendations:

  • Airports — check arrival flight schedules to see the best hours to wait for customers;
  • Bus or train stations —  again, check timetables to see when it’s busiest;
  • At major malls; Sandton City Mall. 

Using the Bolt Driver App

When your account’s ready to use, you’ll receive your login credentials via email. You’ll need to enter these when connecting to your account in the Bolt Driver app. You can download the app from the App Store or Google Play store.

Once logged in, you’re ready to go! Scroll to the WAIT ORDERS button and set the radius within which you want to receive orders. When you accept a passenger’s order, you’ll see the passenger’s waiting address and the estimated arrival time. When you reach the passenger, slide the button to the right to notify the passenger that you’ve arrived.

Additional benefits for Bolt drivers

Driving with Bolt isn’t just about making money — you also benefit from our partner offers. Here are some discounts waiting for you:

Your driver rating

After each trip, passengers can rate their Bolt experience with you from 1-5 stars. People who will rate you can either leave positive feedback or describe how bad their experience was.

High ratings mean that you can continue using the app as well as enjoy great bonuses, while low ratings can lead to you losing your driving privileges.

Remember that passengers value the whole travel experience — smooth and safe driving, optimal route navigation, and comfort.

Here are a few other tips to keep your driver rating high:

  • As soon as the passenger enters the car, check the purpose of the trip and their name to avoid any misunderstanding;
  • Keep your car and trunk clean as you may need to transport luggage in it;
  • Don’t forget to smile — everyone appreciates a greeting if it’s done with a smile. 

Take care of yourself

For our final set of tips, we want to turn our focus towards you! Yes, because if you look after yourself, you’ll be more productive and will enjoy driving more. Here are a few quick reminders:

  • Drink water regularly;
  • Eat healthily;
  • Get adequate sleep;
  • Take time to rest!

So, if you’ve made up your mind, there’s just one step left!

Sign up to drive and earn with Bolt

To start driving Bolt, you need:

  • valid driver’s license
  • Motor Vehicle License Disc with Operating Card (Double disc)
  • a professional driving permit (PrDP) service provider card
  • Vehicle Certificate of Registration 

Want to earn flexibly and on your schedule? Sign up on the official website!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How much do Bolt owners make in South Africa?

The Bolt car owner’s earnings can be calculated from the amount left, which could basically be about R2,500.00 per week. So in a month, the car owner could potentially make over R10,000.00.

How much do you earn with Boltin South Africa?

While the company still advertises drivers earn up to R8,000 a week with rides, I want to show you the realistic side of this – with an income statement proof from Bolt. So if you wanted to invest in or join Bolt, this guide is for you.

What is the best way to make money on bolts in South Africa?

Think of it like this: more people needing a ride = more opportunities to earn as a driver via the Bolt app. You too can increase your earnings by driving during busier times, such as 6:00-9:00 in the mornings and 16:00-19:00 in the evenings on weekdays and all through the weekend!

How do Bolt drivers make money in South Africa?

Bolt releases payments to drivers weekly, in the early hours of every Monday. And the amount will reflect in the driver’s bank account within 2 business working days, depending on the bank you’re using. So you’ll need to better understand your weekly income with Bolt because some clients may choose to pay with cash.

How much can I make from Bolt per day in South Africa?

The national minimum wage is R35,000. If you’re one of the top drivers in Lagos, you could make R311,000 at the end of the month. If you’re in Abuja, you’d make R290,000 and in Benin City, you’d make R324,000. Bolt driver earnings depend on two factors — performance and efficiency.

How much is Bolt Commission in South Africa?

Bolt South Africa typically charges a 23% commission on the final ride price.

Which is better Uber or Bolt in South Africa?

Based on several reviews, we can conclude that Uber charges higher than Bolt. Bolt is more deliberate about making transport fares more affordable for its customers. Therefore, making its prices cheaper than Uber. Bolt also sends its customers promotional codes to make them enjoy amazingly cheap offers.

How much do Bolt drivers make a month in South Africa?

The average salary for a Driver is ZAR 10,044 per month in South Africa, which is 7% higher than the average Bolt salary of ZAR 9,384 per month for this job.

How much does Bolt car owners make in South Africa?

According to each company, you can make up to R8,000 per week driving for Bolt or Uber. While that is true, in my experience, the highest earnings I’ve ever made per week was R6,995.00.

How do you get more clients on Bolt in South Africa?

Here’s how it works:

  1. You enable Back-to-Back rides in the Bolt Driver app;
  2. You accept an incoming ride request;
  3. When another rider requests a pick-up near your destination, you’ll receive a new request from them;
  4. When you complete the ride you’re on, you can head to the new pick-up location straight away.

How much do Takealot drivers make in South Africa?

The typical takealot.com Delivery Driver salary is ZAR 91,842 per year. Delivery Driver salaries at takealot.com can range from ZAR 36,000 – ZAR 120,000 per year. This estimate is based upon 5 takealot.com Delivery Driver salary report(s) provided by employees or estimated based upon statistical methods.

How do I become a Bolt owner in South Africa?

To get started, here are a few things that you require to become a Bolt driver:

  • have a vehicle or vehicle details and contact details of a partner on the platform with a car
  • valid driver’s license (more info here)
  • Motor Vehicle License Disc with Operating Card (Double disc)
  • a professional driving permit (PrDP) service provider card (more info here)
  • Vehicle Certificate of Registration (COR – more info here)
  • Vehicle Inspection report TRA (more info here)
  • A vehicle year model 2013 and above (depending on the city you operate in), 4 doors, luggage capacity 350L, AC
  • Clean criminal record
  • Smartphone (Android device Operating System (OS) 6 & Apple iOS 8 and newer)

What percentage is Bolt commission?

15% to 20%

Can Bolt give you a car in South Africa?

Can bolts cars be taken for personal use /private vehicles? Yes. However, remember that this is only for drivers that need vehicles to drive on our platform.

Does Bolt work 24 hours?

Bolt Drive cars are available 24/7, so you don’t need to plan ahead. Hire a car for as short or long as you need it — minutes, hours, or days!

Is Bolt legal in South Africa?

Drivers require a Professional Driving Permit issued by local authorities to be accepted onto the Bolt platform. This permit is only granted to applicants who obtain a Police Clearance Certificate from the SAPS.