Abstract
The logistics and courier industry in South Africa faces challenges such as high delivery costs and limited access outside major hubs, as well as mixed reviews on service quality. Despite these challenges, the minibus taxi industry presents a potential solution for enhancing crowdshipping due to its extensive and flexible network. Crowdshipping relies on mass participation, and the widespread network of minibus taxis could offer an effective alternative logistics service.
This research explored the potential use of the South African minibus taxi as a crowdshipping service. The study aimed to understand users’ perceptions and willingness to use minibus taxis for sending and receiving parcels, as well as to assess how willing people from various sociodem-ographic backgrounds are to engage with this crowdshipping service. Another objective was to determine critical factors for the success for crowdshipping using minibus taxis.
The research employed a quantitative methodological approach and used a structured self-ad-ministered questionnaire to collect 290 valid responses from participants who had used a minibus taxi in the past twelve months. The data was analysed using SPSS version 29 to understand the relationships between variables. Service attributes, delivery conditions, quality and security, rep-utation and reliability were examined as independent variables influencing the dependent varia-ble, which is the willingness to use such transport. Descriptive statistics were also used to deter-mine user perspectives.
The results revealed that reliability is an important service attribute when selecting a delivery service. Tracking and tracing are also perceived as important by respondents and having a proven track record of providing safe and secure deliveries influences the usage of the service. Further-more, service attributes, delivery conditions, quality and security, reputation, and reliability influ-ence the willingness to use minibus taxis as a crowdshipping service. The results also revealed that sociodemographic characteristics do not influence willingness to use this service.
The findings suggest that for crowdshipping using minibus taxis to succeed, it is essential to pri-oritise reliability and safety to positively influence user willingness. Implementing tracking and tracing technologies, ensuring secure deliveries, and maintaining a trustworthy reputation are crucial. The lack of significant influence from sociodemographic characteristics indicates the po-tential for universally accepted crowdshipping services. Addressing safety concerns is vital for user confidence. The transportation of parcels using minibus taxis is not new, however, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by understanding the factors influencing individuals' willing-ness to use minibus taxis for sending and receiving parcels.