Public transport operators in South Africa
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On the following pages series of buses and coaches... JUST CLICK ON THE LINKED PICTURES - RELOAD THIS PAGE TO REFLECT UPDATES
Metrobus
Johannesburg
since 2000
Rea Vaya
(Johannesburg)
since 2009
Gautrain (Johannesburg/Pretoria)
since 2010
Golden Arrow
(Cape Town)
since 1992
MyCiTi
(Cape Town)
since 2010
Algoa Bus
(Port Elizabeth)|
since 1991
Go George
(George)
since 2014
Regional companies
         
       
A special on the Indian buses in Durban
Open top sightseeing buses / partybuses
     
CitySightSeeing
Joburg+Cape Town
Durban Ricksha Bus
KMBPartybus
(Cape Town)
Franschhoek Wine
Tram
     
Former operators
     
Johannesburg
Transport
up to 2000
Alberton
Municipality
until 2000
PET
Port Elizabeth
until 1990
     
SARTS

Public (bus) transport in South Africa went through a number of sometimes difficult periodes due to the political and societal changes from the Apartheid period through the problems during the 1990's and the first decade of the new millennium to a process of stabilisation, investment and modernisation. All the major cities (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London, Pietermaritzburg, Bloemfontein) had urban operators with European type services for whites and separate services for blacks, except for Cape Town where buses were not segragated. Smaller municipalities around Johannesburg (Germiston, Alberton, Roodepoort) also had their "white" municipal services with PUTCO transporting "black" people. These municipal services were reorganised in 2000, with the restructuring of the administrative regions. After Apartheid had been abolished a massive change took place, in several cities leading to the abolishment of formal bus services which were replaced by "taxi services" with minibuses, with deteriorating security and violence. The minor cities largely lost their bus services, but in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth the companies kept running. Interestingly the World Soccer Games in 2010 were a boost for investment in public transport and Johannesburg and Cape Town developed Latin American style Bus Rapid Transit systems that became quite successful. Other cities are following and Pretoria is currently building a system. Another investment was in a new standard-gauge electric railway between Johannesburg, Pretoria and O.R.Tambo Airport, catering for middle class commuters and airplane passengers, effectively segregating them from the overcrowded commuter trains to the (former black) townships (and for which the government has been criticized). Gautrain even provides modern parking facilities and connecting bus services in the Johannesburg and Pretoria area. An indication of the developments going on is the new bus service in George, which started in December 2014.

Municipal operators on the Reef. In "Buses Annual 1977" Stewart J.Brown published an article on municipal bus operators on the Reef. Due to the adminitrative changes around 2000 the separate companies dissappeared. There were ten municipalities operating buses: Johannesburg, Alberton, Germiston, Boksburg, Benoni, Brakpan, Springs, Nigel, Kempton Park, Roodepoort.

Long distance train services still exist but are less frequent than they used to be and South African Railways has been split up in different operating companies for commuter trains and long distance services. Long distance bus services are important and several long established operators such as Greyhound and Intercape still exist.

THESE PAGES WILL BE UPDATED WITH PICTURES TAKEN IN 1988, 1994, 1998 AND 2014. THE JOHANNESBURG PAGES HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVELY DEVELOPED, THE OTHERS WILL FOLLOW SOON

Operators
Amogelang http://www.amogelang.co.za/ 1999 Johannesburg, Pretoria, Rustenburg (JIC), Kimberley, Pampierstad and Vryburg 
Phumatra http://www.amogelang.co.za/ 1999 part of Amogelang
PUTCO http://www.putco.co.za/ 1945 currently Gauteng area
Eagle Liner http://www.eagleliner.co.za/ ca 1998 long distance services (linked to Intercity Xpress)
Intercape http://www.intercape.co.za/ 1979 long distance services
MyCiTi http://myciti.org.za/en/home/ 2010 BRT Cape Town
Gautrain http://www.gautrain.co.za/ 2010 train OR Tambo-Johannesburg-Pretoria plus connecting bus services
Rea Vaya http://www.reavaya.org.za/ 2009 BRT Johannesburg
Durban Transport http://www.muvo.co.za/   site of card provider contains timetables and other info
Durban People Mover http://www.muvo.co.za/   site of card provider contains timetables and other info
Durban Mynah http://www.muvo.co.za/   site of card provider contains timetables and other info
Metro Johannesburg http://www.mbus.co.za/ 2000 urban services Johannesburg
Golden Arrow http://www.gabs.co.za/ 1992 urban and regional services Cape Town
Elwierda http://www.elwierda.co.za/ 1976 coaches, school buses
Midway http://www.midwaybusandcoach.co.za/ 1999 BBBEE company set up by Kruger Bus Service
Bazbus http://www.bazbus.com/index.aspx 1995 scheduled long distance services with midibuses
Van Rensburg http://vanrensburg-bus-coaches.co.za/   tours, shuttle and school services
Mzilibomvu http://mzilibomvu.co.za/ 2006 KwaMhlanga, Tweefontein, local services and private hire
Bojanala http://www.bojanalabus.co.za/   part of Unitrans Passenger, BBBEEE company in North West
Mega Coach http://www.megacoach.co.za/   part of Unitrans Passenger, luxury charter
Mega Bus http://www.megabus.co.za/   part of Unitrans Passenger, contract work
Citliner https://www.citiliner.co.za/   part of Unitrans Passenger, long distance coaches
Greyhound https://www.greyhound.co.za/   part of Unitrans Passenger, long distance coaches
Unitrans Passneger http://www.passenger.co.za/   division of Unitrans, with operating companies (qv)
Grundling Buses http://www.grunbus.co.za/wmenu.php 1991 coaches, contract work
Vaal Maseru http://www.vaalmaseru.co.za/Home.php    
Vilot RCL http://www.vilotrcltransport.co.za/ 2012? joint Venture between Vilot Transport and Rustenburg Coach Links (RCL) 
Citysightseeing http://www.citysightseeing.co.za/   Johannesburg and Cape Town
Go George http://www.gogeorge.org.za/ 2014 public transport in George
Algoa Bus Comapny http://www.algoabus.co.za/ 1991 public transport in Port Elizabeth
Atamelang http://atamelang.co.za/ 2002  
Translux http://www.translux.co.za/   long distance scheduled services, part of Autopax, subsidiary of PRASA
City-to-City http://www.citytocity.co.za/   regional bus services, part of Autopax, subsidiary of PRASA
Intercity Xpress http://www.intercity.co.za/ 200x purchased Luxliner Coaches
Northwest Star/ Star Line http://www.nti.co.za/ 1973 set up by provincial government
Stabus http://stabus.co.za/    
Tshwane Bus Services http://www.tshwane.gov.za/   urban services Pretoria
CK Travel & Tour http://www.cktour.co.za/   coach hire
Protours http://www.protours.co.za/ 2000 coach hire
Coach Charter http://www.coachchartersa.co.za/   coach hire
Imfuyo Bus Service      
Interstate Bus Lines http://www.interstate.co.za/   around Bloemfontein. Registred as Itumele Bus Lines (Pty) Ltd 
Buscor http://www.buscor.co.za/    
Imfuyo Bus Service      
Western Cape Coaches      
Springbok Atlas http://www.springbokatlas.co.za/    
Hanekom's Bus Services http://www.hanekomscoaches.com/ 1985ca  
SARPBAC http://sarpbac.org.za/parties-to-the-council   South African Road Passenger Bargaining Council
Mayibuye Transport Corporation     around Queenstown