Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has published draft regulations that would bring ride-hailing apps such as inDrive and Bolt under a formal licensing regime. The draft, officially the Road Motor Transportation (Electronic Hailing Services) General Regulations, 2026, was released on 11 November 2026 for public comment. It is a draft, not a rule in force.
A December target
The Herald quotes the Ministry saying the draft was released “in line with a Cabinet directive requiring their promulgation by December 31, 2026.” Techzim reports that no comment deadline has been given. The Herald reports that authorities say e-hailing services will continue operating during the transition period.
Local accreditation
Platforms would need accreditation valid for three years. Foreign-owned platforms would have to register locally and appoint a Zimbabwean-incorporated representative with a physical office in the country, according to the Herald and IBZim.
Commission and fares
Lucent Consultancy reads section 33(1) as capping platform commission at 18% of the fare, excluding VAT and the road-user charge. IBZim reports that the 18% figure, a 15% fare tolerance, a surge cap of double the normal fare and a seven-day driver payment period all appear in square brackets, meaning they are not settled. Techzim notes that the 18% figure echoes Kenya’s 2022 rule, which Kenya’s High Court later blocked after a challenge by Bolt.
Drivers and vehicles
Drivers would need to be at least 21, have held a licence for five years, and hold defensive-driving and medical certificates, according to IBZim and Techzim. Techzim also reports a Zimbabwean-citizenship requirement, which IBZim’s summary does not mention. Cars would be capped at 10 years old at endorsement and need passenger insurance and an e-hailing disc. IBZim says the age, experience and vehicle-age limits are among points flagged for policy confirmation in the draft’s internal notes.
Techzim reports daily facial scans before drivers go online, repeated at intervals of up to 12 hours. IBZim says the interval would be set by the authorities.
Trip data and police access
Platforms would keep trip records, including routes, for six years, with a copy on servers in Zimbabwe, according to Techzim and the Harare Chronicle. IBZim reads the draft as allowing police to request trip data by court order or, in urgent cases involving threats to life, by written request from an Inspector-rank officer or above. Techzim reads the emergency route as not requiring a warrant.
A per-trip road charge
Lucent says a ZINARA road-user charge would be collected on each trip and remitted by the 10th of each month. IBZim reports that the amount is not set in the draft.
Lucent also flags a possible constitutional challenge, arguing that regulating platforms under section 52 of the Road Motor Transportation Act may exceed that Act’s scope. This is Lucent’s legal analysis, not a court finding.
Reaction
We found no company response to the draft in the sources reviewed. Techzim’s explainer lists the Ministry’s email addresses for public comment.
Sources
- Zimbabwe's draft inDrive, Bolt rules: drivers 21+, ZINARA fee per trip, no cars over 10 years, daily face scans (Techzim, 11 Nov 2026)
- Legal and Tax Analysis of the Draft of Road Motor Transportation (Electronic Hailing Services) General Regulations 2026 (Lucent Consultancy, 11 Nov 2026)
- Proposed regulations for inDrive and similar apps in Zim (IBZim, 12 Nov 2026)
- Zimbabwe unveils draft e-hailing rules for inDrive and Bolt (Harare Chronicle, 11 Nov 2026)
- Transport Ministry releases draft E-Hailing regulations, invites public input (The Herald, 11 Nov 2026)
- Government moves to regulate e-hailing platforms (The Herald, 11 Nov 2026)
TopicsZimbabwe E-Hailing Ride-Hailing Regulation inDrive Bolt
