A common sight in Diepkloof, Orlando, Pimville and Meadowlands, operators and their carthorses are symbols of ingenuity and resilience amid poverty in the township survival economy.
They are legal on most streets, except major routes and freeways, provided they meet conditions for road conduct, have reflector lights and adhere to animal welfare standards, according to Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) spokesperson Xolani Fihla.
“Their operation must not endanger other road users. They must have proper lighting and reflectors and they must be driven by competent operators who obey the rules of the road.”
Fihla said the JMPD receives complaints from motorists, especially on narrow township roads where traffic moves quickly and visibility is poor.
“We are aware of the safety concerns. Collisions involving carts can be fatal because the operator and the animal have no protection, but enforcement is difficult. Cart operators use informal routes and the horses can move faster through tight spaces than patrol vehicles.”
Fihla emphasised that enforcement must balance safety and the socioeconomic reality.
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“These carts are part of how some residents survive. Many rely on them for income. But overworking an animal, abusing it, or operating unsafely is illegal and we will act. Safety and animal welfare remain our priority.”
Sipho “Mforo” Khuzwayo from Orlando East, whose horse’s name is Mkhonto, is one of Soweto’s horse-drawn cart operators.
“When I lost my job, Mkhonto became my business partner,” said Khuzwayo.
He spoke to Sunday Times at the end of his shift while he loosened the horse’s harness with practised ease.
“This horse feeds my kids. When I lost my job in 2019, I had nothing. My uncle taught me this work when I was still young, so I went back to it. The horse became my business partner.”
Khuzwayo charges about R500 a load, transporting furniture, scrap metal and sometimes helping people move small household items when they cannot afford a bakkie.
“People don’t realise how much this job helps the kasi. When someone needs to move a fridge, but doesn’t have R1,200 for a bakkie, who do they call? Us.”
Khuzwayo said his horse knows the routes so well that even if he’s tired or distracted, it finds the way home.
“These horses are smart, they grew up on these streets with us.”
Khuzwayo said his horse eats almost anything, but he is careful when it eats grass as there is glass everywhere in Soweto.
“I feed him leftover cabbage, maize meal, grass from the field. I check his hooves for glass every morning because Soweto has glass everywhere. And if the load is too heavy, I don’t take the job. I can’t afford to break my horse, that’s my whole income gone.”
At night, Mkhonto sleeps behind Khuzwayo’s house in a small stable built from corrugated iron and pallets. “It’s not fancy, but it’s warm, dry and safe.”
He says the biggest misunderstanding is that cart owners abuse their horses.
“People only see us working on the road. They don’t see the care behind closed doors. They don’t see the blankets, the washing, the feeding, the resting. If my horse is hurt, we starve. Why would I hurt it?”
“Bra Katt” Maseko from Diepkloof Zone 3 said his cart is built from scrap, but it works harder than most cars.
Maseko said the wheels on his cart are second-hand tyres, the frame is welded from scrap steel and the wooden sides come from broken warehouse pallets.
“There’s no shop that sells these things ready-made. We build them ourselves. You find steel at the scrap yard, wheels from panelbeaters, wood from pallets. If you see a cart on the road, trust me, that owner knows how to fix anything.”
Maseko has been in the trade for 12 years. He learnt from his father, who learnt from his grandfather.
“This is a family thing. We’ve been using horses long before people in the township could dream of owning cars.”
“Every morning, I brush him down. I check the back for wounds from the harness. I loosen the rope at midday so it doesn’t rub. On Sundays, we don’t work, it’s maintenance day. People think we don’t care, if only they knew.”
He said it is dangerous on the roads with passing trucks, which sometimes scares the horses.
“You’re pulling a cart on a road meant for cars moving 80km/h. One wrong move, and the car hits you, hits the horse, everything is finished. And when trucks fly past, the horse gets scared, they don’t understand noises like that.”
Motorists in Soweto say it’s only luck that more accidents haven’t happened as they encounter horse-drawn carts weekly — day and night.
Diepkloof Zone 2 resident and motorist Thandi Mthembu said when she is driving, horses can appear out of nowhere.
“You turn onto a street and boom, the cart is right there. Some don’t have any lights or reflectors. At night, it’s terrifying. One time I came round a corner in Orlando West and nearly rear-ended one.”
Mthembu said she understands the economic reasons but fears something tragic will happen.
Our teams teach owners how to use humane harnessing, how to prevent wounds and how to avoid overworking their animals. We also uplift animals that are severely mistreated. These are sentient beings who feel pain, fear and stress. They deserve compassion.
— Samanta Stelli, NSPCA communications lead
“I don’t blame them. Life is hard, but I’ve seen horses limping or looking thin. I’ve seen kids riding on the back of the cart with no-one watching. If you hit a horse, you’ll kill it and you’ll probably injure the operator too.”
Mthembu said the city should help the operators, give them reflectors, teach them animal care and regulate the loads. “Don’t ban them, just make it safer.”
Khuzwayo said some carts are used daily, while others are only used at month-end when people move furniture. Some horses are shared between neighbours and some operators take turns working because feeding a horse is expensive.
“You think you’re seeing one man and a horse, but sometimes that horse is feeding three families,” Khuzwayo said.
The National Council of SPCAs said while some owners care deeply for their animals, many horses suffer silently.
NSPCA communications lead Samanta Stelli said they receive steady complaints about abuse, neglect and dangerous working conditions.
“Cart horses may not receive adequate veterinary care, including parasite control and wound prevention, some owners use improvised materials like wire for harnesses, which cause serious injuries,” she said.
She said many horses work long hours with little rest, are forced to pull overloaded or unsafe carts and are vulnerable to vehicle collisions.
Stelli said the NSPCA’s Equine Unit conducts outreach visits, offering education, training and primary healthcare.
“Our teams teach owners how to use humane harnessing, how to prevent wounds and how to avoid overworking their animals. We also uplift animals that are severely mistreated. These are sentient beings who feel pain, fear and stress. They deserve compassion.”
She stressed that while horses are essential to many households, their welfare cannot be secondary.
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