MBABANE – The transport industry is sitting on a goldmine of unrealised opportunity – and the numbers are now on the table.
At the official announcement of Leap Taxi App’s sponsorship of the Made in Eswatini Consumer Fair, industry players laid bare how gaps in availability, skills participation and digital adoption are quietly costing the economy millions of Emalangeni each year.
Leap Taxi App Director Vusani Matsebula laid bare the scale of opportunity within the ride-hailing sector, using the company’s 2025 performance data to illustrate how structural gaps in availability are holding back earnings.
In 2025, Leap Taxi App had 52 licensed and registered drivers on its platform, but only 31 were actively available to take trips. Despite this limited participation, drivers collectively generated close to E1.5 million in revenue over the year.
Notably, Leap Taxi App has not yet introduced any commission or app usage fees, meaning drivers retained 100 per cent of their earnings. However, this revenue was generated from just about 30 per cent of total demand. The platform recorded roughly 7 000 ride requests in 2025, but only about 2 000 were accepted and completed. Approximately 70 per cent of ride requests went unanswered, largely due to driver unavailability – particularly during late-night and early-morning hours between midnight and 5am.
Matsebula said if driver availability matched demand patterns, taxi drivers operating on the platform could have generated between E6 million and E7 million in 2025 alone. For a sector that remains one of the fastest-entry points into income generation for young people, the data highlights a powerful, but under-utilised, pathway to livelihoods.
Beyond ride-hailing, Matsebula said Leap Taxi App is positioning itself as a broader digital mobility and logistics platform. The company is preparing to launch food and parcel delivery services later this year, a move expected to open additional income streams for drivers with vehicles, scooters and motorbikes.
This expansion is closely linked to the Made in Eswatini Consumer Fair partnership. Leap Taxi App and its sister company, Leap IT, are involved in developing and managing the fair’s e-commerce platform, which will enable verified local producers to sell their products online. The platform will support secure digital payments and integrate delivery services through Leap Taxi App, effectively linking local production, digital commerce and last-mile logistics. According to Matsebula, the goal is to build systems that allow emaSwati entrepreneurs to scale beyond physical marketplaces and access broader domestic and international demand.
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