Is Wanatu closing? Company responds to insolvency claims
Is the Afrikaans e-hailing service Wanatu shutting down? Here’s what the company had to say about the viral rumours…
Popular Afrikaans e-hailing service Wanatu has dismissed rumours claiming it went bankrupt and was forced to shut down.
The denial follows the circulation of a fake news screenshot on the X app.
According to its founders, Wanatu hires only Afrikaans-speaking drivers, but the service remains fully accessible to the public in the Centurion and Pretoria areas.
WANATU SLAMS ‘FAKE NEWS’ REPORT
On its Instagram account, Wanatu reposted a viral screenshot concerning a “fake news” article about the Afrikaans e-hailing service going bankrupt.
The post read: “We are aware of spreading fake news and misleading information about Wanatu. If there is anything important to share, Wanatu will communicate it via our official channels.
“We appreciate your continued support. We are still fully operational and ready to take you everywhere”.
IS IT AFRIKAANS ONLY?
According to Wanatu, the e-hailing service aims to create job opportunities among Afrikaans-speaking South Africans and “restore the dignity” of the community.
Director Van Rooy van den Berg told Jacaranda FM: “A dignified job is one of the foundations for making a person feel valuable. Many people in the Afrikaner cultural community have lost their jobs in recent years. That is why it is a calling to create dignified work opportunities”.
While drivers are required to speak Afrikaans fluently, passengers do not have to.
Since its inception in October 2024, the e-hailing app has employed close to 100 drivers. It has a fast-growing database of subscribers, including actress Reandi Grey and former Springbok Victor Matfield.
According to Wanatu, drivers utilise branded Toyota Corolla Cross HEV hybrid electric vehicles. The service, which schoolchildren, businesspeople, and the elderly, offers school transport and airport shuttle services.