The four men behind the company taking on Uber and Bolt in South Africa’s richest city
Percy Qamata, alongside Msizi Mtolo, Cebile Magudulela, and Luther Mfetane, founded Bro, a subscription-based e-hailing service operating in Johannesburg.
Unlike other market players such as Uber and Bolt, Bro employs a subscription-based model that allows drivers to keep 100% of their earnings.
The founding of Bro comes as South Africa’s e-hailing industry is showing strong growth, now valued at R25.4 billion and projected to reach R56.7 billion by 2030.
In an interview with the Something Else Today podcast, Qamata described how the initial idea for Bro came from one of his co-founders, Mtolo.
Mtolo had moved from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg and worked in the rental car industry. His job involved taking multiple e-hailing trips a day.
This experience made him realise that there were glaring pain points in the local e-hailing industry, particularly the high commission rates charged by existing market players.
Qamata explained that many e-hailing platforms often take a high percentage of drivers’ earnings, sometimes as much as 40%, making it difficult for drivers to earn a decent living.
At the time, Qamata and his friends had already been working on a side project focused on web development for small to medium enterprises.
Initially, they came up with the idea to use their web development skills to create an app specifically for the taxi industry.
However, Qamata said that this concept was met with considerable resistance. After Mtolo recognised those gaps in the e-hailing market, they decided to pivot.
“Because we met that resistance, we decided, why not just pivot into an industry that already exists and solve a problem that is there?” Qamata explained.
Thus, the concept of Bro was born – an e-hailing platform that does not charge drivers a commission fee and allows them to keep 100% of their fare earnings.
The company’s core team consisted of Qamata, Mtolo, Magudulela, and Mfetane, alongside Phindile Maseko, their angel investor.
The Bro app began its pilot phase in July 2025, as a controlled, one-month test conducted in Braamfontein, Johannesburg.
This pilot allowed the founders to ensure that their app was functional and included all necessary features, such as an SOS feature, payment systems, and trip management.
Bro’s model and launch
Unlike traditional e-hailing companies, Bro charges 0% commission to drivers and instead operates on a subscription model that allows drivers to keep 100% of their trip fare earnings.
“This approach empowers our drivers, promotes financial independence, and supports job creation across the country,” the company’s website explained.
Currently, Bro offers a daily subscription plan for R30/day, a weekly plan for R150/week, and a monthly plan for R600/month.
The subscription fee is paid by the drivers and covers the platform’s costs, with drivers then keeping 100% of the flat fee charged per trip.
According to the company’s website, this not only allows drivers to earn more but also leads to lower fares for riders, as commission markups are not included.
Following Bro’s pilot phase, Qamata and his team focused on refining their minimum viable product – and exceeded their own expectations.
Qamata said they initially aimed to register 50 drivers and 100 commuters on the app. Two months in, they had already grown to 710 drivers and 1,150 commuters.
Seeing this high demand for its product, Bro took the leap and launched its platform to the public in November 2025. The Bro app is currently available on the Google Play Store, with an iOS version in the works.
The platform’s e-hailing services are currently available only in Johannesburg, operating across 118 locations and 7 regions, including Sandton, Randburg, the CBD, Johannesburg South, the East Rand, Alberton, and Vosloosrus.
Looking forward, Qamata told The Penuel Show that Bro aims to evolve into a “super app”, with plans to pivot into food and grocery delivery, as well as fintech services.
The company also plans to scale its safety initiatives, including an ongoing campaign focused on women in the e-hailing space.
Bro photos
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