A Fork in The Road?: The Formalisation of South Africa’s Minibus Taxi Industry

South Africa’s minibus taxi industry is the lifeblood of everyday mobility – moving over 15 million commuters daily – yet it remains one of the most misunderstood and contested sectors of the economy. In A Fork in the Road?, Dr Siyabulela Christopher Fobosi offers a groundbreaking socio-economic and political analysis of the industry, tracing its roots in apartheid spatial planning to its contemporary struggles with informality, regulation, and labour precarity. Drawing on extensive fieldwork, interviews, and policy analysis, the book reveals the lived realities of drivers, operators, and workers navigating an industry caught between survival and formalisation. At once a story of resilience and inequality, this book challenges dominant narratives of dysfunction and instead positions the taxi industry as a critical site of economic participation, resistance, and transformation in the Global South.This is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in transport justice, labour, and inclusive development. Read more