Mobility & Fleet Enablement
- fleet management
- driver training & licensing
- vehicle inspection & certification
- driver financial tools
- maintenance & parts
- telematics
- fuel optimisation
- safety technology
- shared fleet models
- vehicle leasing & hire-purchase
Are you a driver on the Bolt platform with a business idea?
Bring your idea to life with Bolt!
- Top 100 Ideas get access to the Bolt Academy for training and development
- Top 20 Academy students get access to Bootcamp Pitch Training
- Top 10 Business pitches receive 2,000 Euros of Seed Funding as well as mentoring
About the Programme
Bolt is thrilled to roll out its second Bolt Accelerator Programme in South Africa.
We are actively seeking innovative ideas from within our community, including drivers and their spouses or children. This programme will support qualifying ideas through training and development in the Bolt Academy.
The most developed ideas will have the opportunity to pitch for seed funding and receive mentorship in rolling out their plan.
Bolt is committed to accelerating innovation and entrepreneurial spirit across Africa, and this programme is a testament to that commitment.
Buckle up for a ride that goes beyond the roads!
Eligibility Criteria
To participate in the Bolt Accelerator Programme, candidates must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- 1
Driver: You must be an active driver operating on the Bolt platform with at least 100 trips completed.
- 2
Spouse or Child: Verification will be conducted through the account of the driver linked with the Bolt platform. The child must be 18 years and above.
- 3
Family Limitation: Only one member per family, either the driver, spouse, or child is eligible to apply.
- 4
Residency: Candidates must be residents of South Africa.
- 5
Time Commitment: Successful applicants should be available to dedicate off-peak hours over a period of 10 weeks for an intensive hybrid training and mentoring session.
Business Categories
Your business needs to fall into one of the categories listed below to qualify:
Logistics, Delivery & Commerce Enablement
- last-mile delivery
- dispatch & routing
- hyperlocal delivery
- SME aggregation
- cold-chain logistics
- bulk & B2B freight
- fulfilment & warehousing
- rider productivity tools
- parcel networks
- cross-border commerce
EV, Energy & Green Mobility
- EV charging infrastructure
- battery-swap networks
- EV financing & leasing
- solar mobility hubs
- battery recycling
- EV conversion kits
- green logistics
- carbon tracking tools
- e-bike & e-scooter leasing
Food, Retail & Merchant Ecosystem
- cloud kitchens
- virtual restaurants
- merchant digitisation
- sustainable packaging
- inventory management
- produce aggregation
- vendor integration platforms
- SME e-commerce tools
- mobile food & catering
Urban Infrastructure & Smart City
- smart parking
- traffic & routing optimisation
- mobility hubs
- micro-mobility
- public transport integration
- accessibility solutions
- safe waiting areas
- urban navigation tools
Financial Inclusion & Gig Economy Services
- driver savings platforms
- gig worker insurance
- revenue-based financing
- cooperative financing
- alternative credit scoring
- pension & micro-investment
- expense management tools
Women & Youth Economic Empowerment
- women-focused fleet solutions
- youth driver training academies
- childcare support for drivers
- safety solutions for women
- upskilling & reskilling platforms
- inclusive mobility programmes
Future Mobility & Emerging Innovation
- drone logistics
- autonomous delivery pilots
- vehicle-to-grid (V2G) solutions
- shared mobility platforms
- Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS)
- smart transport infrastructure
- AI route & demand optimisation
Prohibited Categories
None of the businesses listed below will be accepted:
- Any illegal, unlicensed, or unregistered activity under applicable local law
- Unlicensed regulated financial services, lending, or banking products
- Weapons, adult entertainment, gambling, or controlled substances
- Any concept that exposes Bolt to reputational, legal, or regulatory risk
- Businesses that directly compete with Bolt's core ride-hailing or food delivery products
Application Timeline:
21 September 2026
Applications Open
9 October 2026
Applications Close