In South Africa, babies and children accompanying parents using public transport for monetary gain are exempt from using a car seat. Unfortunately, they are not exempt from collisions and the consequences thereof. We strongly recommend that you buckle up your baby/child in the appropriate car seat / booster when making use of public transport.
Traditional car seats are heavy, bulky and neither convenient nor practical to use when making use of public transport. The following products are currently available in South Africa to make your life easier while keeping your child as safe as possible, when using public transport. This list will be updated as and when new products are available to the South African market.
Infant (birth to 13kg)
Dedicated infant car seat (also known as a carrier / capsule)
Relatively easy to carry around at your destination or could easily be put in a trolley or click into a pram as part of a travel system.
Top tip: Consider the weight of the infant carrier and if possible opt for an infant carrier that has multiple recline options. Read our article Using a car seat as part of a travel system for further information.
Toddler (9kg – 18kg)
Folding harnessed car seat
9 – 18 kg harnessed (forward facing only). Up to around 4 years old.
Child (18kg +)
Folding high back booster seat
Peg Perego Viaggio 2-3 Flex. From 15kg (average 3 year old), but we highly recommend to only start using this high back booster when the child is 18kg and 4 years old for safety and maturity considerations. Up to 36kg / around 12 years old.
“Better than nothing” options for 18kg +
Secure-a-Kid, Mifold or Booster cushion (the solid hard plastic type, not polystyrene).
Please read this for a detailed article on the pro’s and cons of these products.
Very important: these 3 “better than nothing” products IN NO WAY REPLACE a car seat or high back booster seat. It is only for occasional use when no car seat is available or a car seat is not practical, such as a once a week taxi ride. We highly recommend that if the vehicle’s back, middle seat has a 3-point seatbelt, that you utilise that seat for installation, as these products do not have any side impact protection. These products may NOT be used with a 2-point vehicle seatbelt (lap belt) only.
If you are looking for an e-hailing taxi service that caters for women, driven by women, consider using ChaufHer, where safety is their top priority.
