FOR OPERATORS
The Zula operator guide
Everything you need to know about listing on Zula — what we expect, how it works, and what will get you removed. Read this before you sign up.
THE BASICS
How Zula works for operators
Zula is a marketplace. Guests find you, request a booking, and you accept or decline. You're not an employee of Zula — you're an independent operator running your own business on our platform.
You set your own hourly rate per vehicle. You set your own minimum hours and deposit percentage. Guests see your rate before they request, so there are no surprises on either side.
When a guest books, they pay a deposit the moment you accept. The remaining balance is charged automatically when you complete the trip. No cash, no invoicing, no chasing anyone.
Zula takes a platform fee of 15% of the total booking value (10% for founding operators in their first 6 months). Paystack card processing fees are absorbed by Zula — you pay nothing on top. Payouts go to your nominated bank account via Paystack, typically next business day.
You also pay a monthly subscription for your driver seats: Solo R249/mo, Team R499/mo + R199 per extra seat, Fleet R899/mo + R149 per extra seat. All plans include a 14-day free trial.
VEHICLE STANDARDS
Which vehicles are allowed on Zula
Zula is a premium marketplace. We only list vehicles that meet our entry standard. This isn't about being exclusive for the sake of it — it's about giving guests a consistent, quality experience. If you're not sure whether your vehicle qualifies, read on.
Allowed vehicle categories
Sedan
Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3 Series, Audi A4
Premium Sedan
Mercedes E/S-Class, BMW 5/7 Series, Audi A6
SUV
Range Rover, BMW X5, Mercedes GLC, Toyota Fortuner
MPV
Mercedes V-Class, VW Caravelle, Hyundai Staria
Minibus
Toyota Quantum GL, Mercedes Sprinter
Not allowed
The following vehicles are not permitted on Zula. If your vehicle falls into one of these categories, we won't be able to approve it.
- ✕ Standard passenger cars — Toyota Corolla, VW Polo, VW Golf, Toyota Etios, Toyota Avanza, Hyundai i20, VW Polo Vivo, Kia Picanto, and similar
- ✕ Classics and vintage vehicles — may be added in future
- ✕ Supercars and exotics — may be added in future
- ✕ Motorcycles
- ✕ Any vehicle that is not roadworthy
No minimum model year
We don't have a minimum model year. A well-maintained 2015 Mercedes E-Class is perfectly acceptable. What matters is the condition, not the age.
Vehicle photos
Every vehicle needs a minimum of 4 photos before it can be approved:
1. Exterior front
2. Exterior rear
3. Interior front
4. Interior rear
You can upload up to 12 photos per vehicle. More photos means more bookings — guests want to see what they're getting into.
Approval process
When you add a vehicle, it goes into a pending queue. Our admin team reviews the photos and details within 24 hours. If approved, your vehicle appears in guest search results. If rejected, we'll tell you why and you can fix it and resubmit.
Approved vehicles can be flagged or delisted if guest reviews consistently report poor condition (auto-flagged below 3.0 average after 5+ reviews), a guest reports that the vehicle didn't match the listing, or photos are found to be misleading. Keep your vehicle clean, well-maintained, and matching your listing photos.
DRIVER STANDARDS
What we expect from every driver
Hard rules
These are not guidelines. These are hard rules. Breaking any of them will result in immediate suspension or removal from the platform.
Sobriety
You must not operate any vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any substance that impairs your ability to drive. Zero tolerance. No exceptions.
Valid documentation
Every driver must hold a valid PRDP (Professional Driving Permit) and a valid South African driving licence at all times. If your PRDP or licence expires, you cannot accept bookings until it's renewed.
Insurance
Your organisation must maintain valid liability insurance covering all vehicles and drivers. If your insurance lapses, your listings are suspended immediately.
Honesty
Do not misrepresent your vehicle, your qualifications, or your availability. Do not submit false documents. Do not use photos of a different vehicle.
Professional standards
These are the standards that separate good operators from great ones. They affect your ratings, your search ranking, and whether guests rebook you.
Punctuality
Arrive at the pickup location at the confirmed time. If you're running late, message the guest via in-app chat immediately.
Vehicle presentation
Your vehicle must be clean inside and out for every booking. Air conditioning must work. The vehicle must match your listing photos.
Personal conduct
Be courteous, professional, and respectful. No phone calls while driving (hands-free excepted). No smoking in the vehicle. No playing music without asking the guest.
Communication
Use the in-app chat to coordinate with guests. Respond to messages promptly. If there's a problem, communicate early — don't leave the guest guessing.
Safety
Obey all traffic laws. Drive safely. Your passengers' safety is your responsibility.
BOOKING RULES
How bookings work
When a guest requests a booking, you (or your manager) receive a push notification. You have a limited time to respond, based on how far away the booking is:
If you don't respond in time, the booking automatically goes to the next available operator. You don't lose anything — but you miss the booking.
Once you accept, you're committed. The guest's deposit is charged immediately. Cancelling after accepting is serious. The guest gets a full refund, your rating takes a hit, and repeated cancellations can lead to suspension.
For Team and Fleet operators: you must assign a driver to each accepted booking. Solo operators are auto-assigned.
Instant Book
You can opt into Instant Book, which auto-accepts bookings that fall within your availability and vehicle capacity. You get a ⚡ badge in search results — guests love certainty. You can cancel within a 1-hour grace period if there's a genuine conflict, but abusing this will result in penalties.
PAYMENTS & FEES
What you earn and what Zula takes
You set your own hourly rate per vehicle. You set your own minimum hours and deposit percentage. Guests see your rate before they book — full transparency.
When a guest books, they pay a deposit (your set percentage) on acceptance. The balance is charged automatically when you complete the trip.
EXAMPLE
A guest books a 6-hour wine tour at your rate of R500/hr. Total: R3,000. Zula's 15% fee: R450. You receive: R2,550 — deposited to your bank account the next business day.
RATINGS & REVIEWS
How ratings work
After every completed trip, the guest rates the driver and the vehicle separately. Ratings are anonymous — the guest's identity is not shown to you.
Your average rating is visible to guests in search results. It directly affects how many bookings you get.
New operators show a "New on Zula" label instead of a star rating until they have 3 or more reviews. So don't worry about starting from zero — everyone does.
Quality floors
We monitor ratings automatically. If your scores drop below these thresholds after 5 or more reviews, you'll be flagged for admin review:
Guests are rated too
Guests have a reliability score based on their booking history, cancellations, and no-shows. You can see this when reviewing a booking request — it helps you decide whether to accept.
THE LINE
What will get you removed from Zula
We want every operator to succeed on Zula. But we have a responsibility to guests and to the other operators on the platform. The following will result in suspension or permanent removal:
If a guest reports a serious issue, we investigate within 24 hours. We take reports seriously — they're not just feedback, they're safety signals.
REPORTING & DISPUTES
If something goes wrong
Guests can report issues directly in the app after any trip. Report categories include: wrong vehicle presented, unsafe vehicle condition, driver behaviour concerns, and safety issues.
All reports are reviewed by our admin team within 24 hours. All in-app chat messages are logged and can be used as evidence in disputes.
If you believe a guest's report or review is unfair, contact us at hello@gozula.com with your side of the story. We review both sides before taking action.
Ready to join?
Sign up, complete onboarding in about 9 minutes, add your vehicle, set your rate, and start receiving bookings.