Abstract
When women enter spaces that are male dominated, they often feel that they do not belong. The South African taxi industry is infamous for being a space for men. The objective of the study was to get an understanding of South African men taxi drivers’ perceptions of women who enter the industry. An understanding of their opinions and perspectives can foster a co-existence within this industry, thus allowing a place for women in the South African taxi industry and generally in spaces that are male dominated. A generic qualitative design was used. Data were collected from 12 male South African taxi drivers by means of semi-structured face-to-face interviews and voice calls. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the male taxi drivers hold the perception that the South African taxi industry is just not for women, as it is too violent and they should therefore pursue safer jobs. The findings furthermore revealed that male taxi drivers are of the opinion that women are slow drivers and bad drivers. The participants expressed that there is no special treatment for women in the taxi industry. The South African male taxi drivers indicated three ways in which a coexistence can be established in the taxi industry: (a) Women should educate themselves about the industry, (b) there is a need for change in the way that women are perceived in the taxi industry and this would (c) require an intervention by the government. Understanding the views of the male taxi drivers who work in the South African taxi industry can play a huge role in creating an inclusive environment for women taxi drivers and help establish a coexistence between men and women within the South African taxi industry. This research may be of wider interest and more generally useful in establishing women’s presence in spaces that are male dominated, even in different contexts. Keywords: Taxi drivers, male-dominated spaces, social dominance.