Bolt, South Africa’s leading ride-hailing platform, has announced a nationwide redesign of its ride categories along with the launch of Family Profiles—a new feature that lets one person manage and pay for trips for up to nine others under a single account.
Why it matters
The dual rollout is aimed at simplifying ride selection, fairly compensating drivers, and enabling safer, more coordinated transport options for families and caregivers.
The big picture
Bolt’s updated ride categories—Economy, Bolt, Comfort, Business, XL, and Women for Women—were redesigned to make trip options clearer and faster to choose.
The refresh also links vehicle quality and driver ratings to each category to reward top-rated drivers.
“This category restructure is about clarity, value, and fairness,” said Lerato Motsoeneng, Senior GM at Bolt South Africa. “We’re simplifying the rider journey and helping top-rated drivers earn more.”
What’s new — Family Profiles
The Family Profiles feature allows a primary account holder to manage and pay for rides for others. Each rider uses their own Bolt account, while the primary user retains oversight.
- Set monthly spending limits
- Receive real-time trip notifications
- Track rides and contact drivers
- View ride history by member
By the numbers
Bolt says 2% to 6% of rides in South Africa are already booked manually for others. Family Profiles streamline this process with built-in safety and coordination tools.
Between the lines
The feature targets a growing segment of older riders or dependents who may struggle with smartphones or digital payments.
“Family Profiles let people take care of each other in a smarter way,” Motsoeneng said.
Safety first
All rides through Family Profiles include Bolt’s existing in-app safety features—trip verification, live ride tracking, emergency assistance, and real-time monitoring by Bolt’s Safety Team. Riders must be 18+ and have their own accounts.
