Mobility

1. a) How has the Job Seekers Voucher programme performed in terms of user uptake from February 2024 to the present

The Jobseeker Travel Voucher Programme (JTVP) is being implemented by the Mobility Department as part of the Western Cape Government’s Growth 4 Jobs Strategy.

The JTVP aims to remove transport costs as a barrier to seeking employment by providing free travel vouchers to jobseekers. The Department has partnered with the private sector, NGOs and Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) to provide jobseekers with free Gold Cards loaded with trips that they can use to travel to job opportunities for free.

The JTVP has had a significant positive impact since its launch in February 2024.

As of 30 June 2025, the JTVP has 160 partner employers and over 6,000 registered jobseekers, providing over 8,300 free trips to jobseekers. Around 40% of surveyed jobseekers using their voucher are now employed, and more than 90% reported they found the voucher beneficial. The voucher is also reaching groups most affected by unemployment in the province, with youth and women comprising the majority of beneficiaries at 86% and 81%, respectively.

(b)(i) how has his Department funded the Job Seekers Voucher programme.

The JTVP is funded through the Department's Transport Operations budget.

(ii) what have been the associated costs in the same period.

The programme utilises the existing spare capacity available on GABS buses during the off-peak. As such, the Department does not incur costs for the trips taken by jobseekers using this spare capacity and only covers other programme-related costs outlined below.

The programme has accrued direct and indirect costs. The main costs covered by the programme include:

• Gold cards;
• Admin and Operations support costs; and
• Establishment costs, such as developing the system for issuing vouchers.

The total project costs associated with GABS amount to approximately R655,000 as of May 2025. The direct costs include those paid to GABS for the travel vouchers – i.e. Gold Cards issued to registered jobseekers, which are loaded with trips that GABS provides at no additional cost to the Department. Indirect costs refer to payments made to GABS for operational support and project establishment, aimed at ensuring that GABS agents are equipped to verify and issue Gold Cards to beneficiaries.

Other costs related to the programme have been carried by existing departmental programmes.

(c) what is the projected programme costs from February 2025 to January 2026,

The programme costs are dependent on uptake, as the Department pays for each Gold Card issued to a jobseeker. Based on the current uptake, projected costs for the period February 2025 to January 2026 are approximately R700,000. This amount would cover costs for both Gold Cards and continued administrative and operational support from GABS.

(d) what considerations have informed his Department’s decision to collaborate specifically with the Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS);

The Department developed a business case prior to implementation, which included a modal assessment to determine the implementation partner for the JTVP. The assessment considered different public transport modes in the province, including GABS, MyCiTi, Minibus taxis (MBTs) and Metrorail. The selection of an appropriate mode to support the JTVP was based on the consideration of two key factors:

• Accessibility – the extent to which each mode is accessible by jobseekers and supports access to employment opportunities.
• Cost and Practicality – the potential cost to the Department of running a pilot JTVP, and the nature of existing relationships between operators and the Mobility Department.

The modes assessment showed that GABS was the most suitable partner in terms of both accessibility, cost and practicality.

In terms of accessibility, GABS operates a comprehensive bus service within the Cape Town Metro, providing sufficient coverage and service availability for key origin and destination points, with significant spare capacity in off-peak periods.

On cost and practicality, GABS is subsidised through the provincially administered PTOG (Public Transport Operations Grant) and operates a scheduled service (i.e., buses depart at scheduled intervals, regardless of occupancy). During off-peak periods, there is typically sufficient unused capacity to carry additional passengers on more than 1,000 bus trips. Therefore, there was an opportunity to leverage the existing subsidy further by utilising the spare off-peak capacity to support the JTVP. As such, the Department does not incur any additional cost for jobseeker trips, over and above the existing subsidy. The Department only covers the cost of the Gold Cards, ongoing operational support and establishment.

Furthermore, GABS has an existing AFC system through which the vouchers could be administered, with approximately 50 outlets (GABS ticket kiosks and independent vendors) administering GABS Gold Cards (AFC smartcard) and loading travel credits. Consequently, there would be minimal costs required to accommodate the programme in comparison to other modes.

The existing contracting arrangements, relationship and infrastructure meant GABS was a practical and cost-effective choice for reaching the communities in need of the travel vouchers.

2. Whether his Department has explored potential partnerships with other stakeholders, such as MyCiTi and e-hailing services, such as Uber and Bolt; if so, what are the relevant details;

As stated above, the Department undertook a modal assessment when developing the business case to determine the most suitable implementation partner for the programme. GABS, MyCiTi, MBTs and Metrorail were considered as part of the assessment.

At the time, much of the rail network was not fully operational, and so rail was deemed unsuitable due to limited accessibility. Rail was later revisited, as services started recovering, and was identified as a feasible option that could be considered for potential future expansion of the programme.

E-hailing services were excluded from the initial modal analysis, primarily due to the absence of a formal governing structure, limited information on ridership, operations and fleets, and the high costs associated with providing concessions for an unsubsidised mode. Furthermore, e-hailing fares are higher than public transport fares, meaning fewer vouchers could be issued to jobseekers from the same budget.

While MBTs offer province-wide coverage, the cost of implementing JTVP on MBTs was significantly higher when compared to other modes. MyCiTi operates a scheduled and subsidised service but provides limited coverage in Cape Town compared to the more comprehensive city-wide coverage provided by GABS. Furthermore, MyCiTi is not managed by the province, making it more complex to implement the JTVP on the service.

Therefore, at the time, the modes assessment concluded that the mode and operator best suited to initially support the JTVP is GABS, as it would yield maximum impact in terms of accessibility, while being affordable and practical for the Department to implement.

3. (a) What is his Department’s approach to marketing the Job Seekers Voucher

The Department has designed its marketing approach according to the phases of implementing and expanding the programme.

Phase 1 of the programme relied on employers to nominate eligible jobseekers for vouchers. Therefore, marketing efforts targeted potential partner employers and focused on raising public awareness about the programme. Various marketing channels were used, including direct calls and emails to employers, events, radio and other media platforms.

During Phase 1, the Department also introduced Open Day events to assist even more jobseekers to access the voucher. These events are typically hosted in partnership with NGOs and NPOs, and allow jobseekers to register and collect their Gold Cards on-site.

Phase 2 of the programme introduced jobseeker self-registration. As a result, marketing efforts shifted to directly target unemployed jobseekers. The Department continues to use a number of marketing channels to drive awareness and increase uptake, including events, radio and ongoing social media.

(b)(i) What types of marketing activities have been implemented,

A number of marketing activities have been implemented, including:

• Direct calls and emails: Potential employers, NGOs and Government Departments in the Cape Town Metro were identified and contacted via phone and email with marketing materials for the JTVP.

• Email databases: Collaboration with other Government Departments and agencies enabled marketing to businesses through their networks.
• Webinars: The Department hosted an employer webinar, in collaboration with an employer in the BPO sector, to promote the programme and encourage participation.
• Open Days: The Department hosted Open Days in a number of communities across the Cape Town Metro, including Bellville, Delft, Mitchells Plain, Steenberg, Kuilsriver and Parow, to reach many more jobseekers.
• Media and communications: Ongoing social media posts, press releases, and radio promotions across various, bulk printing of flyers and other promotional items.

(ii) How frequently have they occurred and

Marketing has been ongoing since the launch of the programme. Marketing efforts are ramped up as and when required to support greater uptake.

(iii) What has been the cost of these efforts?

The cost of marketing efforts, covered by the Departmental communication budget for the period April 2024 to March 2025, was R911,471.99 for radio media buying. All creative and production for social media posts, posters, and flyers throughout the financial year were done internally by the Departmental communication team.