Proparco has granted a US$10m (ZAR 124 m) loan in local currency to SA Taxi Development Finance Proprietary Limited (‘SA Taxi”), a subsidiary of JSE-listed Transaction Capital Limited and one of South Africa’s leading providers of SME minibus taxi financing. This loan is intended to help the company sustain its growth and continue to put new and safer vehicles on the road to service the millions of commuters who use minibus transport every day.
The company, founded in 1996, has facilitated the creation of over 68 000 SMES and currently finances around 30 000 minibus taxis.
16-seater minibus taxis are ubiquitous in South Africa and they are estimated to account for 70% of all work and educational public transport trips. They are critical in providing the majority of the population with access to employment, health, education and other social services.
Proparco’s loan will help the company create or sustain approximately 360 minibus taxi SMEs, providing around 650 direct jobs.
As 100% of SA Taxi’s customers are black-owned and 20% are woman-owned, populations who are typically underserved by traditional financiers, this loan will also advance the cause for financial inclusion. In addition, CO2 emissions will be reduced through SA Taxi’s commitment to replace high-emission vehicles with those that emit less.
Through this loan, Proparco is reaffirming its commitment to South Africa’s inclusive development. Last October, Proparco granted a €25m loan to Calgro M3 to help the company build 49,000 units of affordable housing in priority urban development areas.
About SA Taxi
SA Taxi is a vertically integrated taxi platform utilising specialist capabilities, enriched proprietary data and technology to provide developmental finance and other services to empower SMEs and create shared value opportunities, thus ensuring the sustainability of the minibus taxi industry.
For more information, please visit : www.sataxi.co.za