November 2, 12:30TechCentral

Wanatu uses Google Maps services to scale its taxi service across South Africa

The ride-hailing platform Wanatu, which is demonstrating rapid growth in Pretoria and Centurion, plans to expand its operations to other Gauteng areas and centers across South Africa. This has been made possible by the implementation of a new technology stack utilizing a suite of Google Maps Platform Mobility Services.

Launched in 2024 as a safer alternative to public transport, Wanatu currently serves 131 drivers and completes up to 12,000 trips monthly. Thanks to the new technology, the company is actively strengthening its market position.

Built on Google Maps Mobility Services

The new technology stack was implemented in July of this year by the software development company Project Troy. It is built using the Google Maps Mobility Services toolkit from 28East, which is a partner of Digicloud Africa and an authorized Google Maps specialist in Africa.

Marius van der Merwe, founder and CEO of 28East, explains that Google Maps Mobility Services is a specialized set of tools for development and backend infrastructure created for on-demand ride-hailing applications, scheduled transport, and last-mile logistics. According to him, this implementation allows Wanatu to grow and develop its business model.

He notes: 'Google developed this suite for very specific use cases, including components such as a fleet engine, driver SDK, and consumer SDK. It is a private program available only through partners, providing the building blocks necessary for companies like Wanatu.'

Gustav Grotius, co-founder and systems and logistics manager at Wanatu, emphasized that the previous navigation system did not meet their needs. He stated: 'We identified a huge need for safe and reliable transport across the country, but our technology stack hindered our expansion.'

Wanatu faced the need to eliminate navigation blind spots, inaccurate Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) calculations, and dispatching issues caused by unreliable routing in Gauteng. Furthermore, real-time driver tracking, reliable location updates upon signal loss, and full operational visibility were required.

Kent Klein, CEO of Project Troy, and Johan Bloem, his CTO, explained that Wanatu's technology stack was completely rebuilt to provide more advanced features for Wanatu's drivers, passengers, and management.

Bloem reported that the previous stack was based on a .NET Azure stack with Microsoft SQL databases and proprietary navigation software.

Klein added: 'They needed a different stack with a completely different look and feel, which eliminated guesswork in mobility elements. Wanatu also needed accurate data to improve routing and resource utilization. For example, an incorrectly mapped route means the customer ultimately loses revenue because if a fixed fare was quoted, and the driver chooses a longer route, it is simply not good business.'

The new solution includes Google Maps Platform Mobility and Fleet Engine, providing advanced and accurate navigation, up-to-date street names, and real-time traffic information. The system eliminated navigation blind spots through real-time driver tracking and live maps. It also significantly improved ETA, optimized dispatching and routing accuracy, and enabled data-driven planning.

Grotius noted: 'Thanks to our new technology stack and Google Maps Mobility Services, we are now confidently exploring expansion opportunities in Gauteng, and we are negotiating with authorities in other South African centers. We are also considering adding parcel delivery services to our portfolio.'

Update on Stale Detection

One of the key hurdles to overcome was 'staleness'—the situation where the previous system lost information about which drivers were available in which areas.

Bloem explained that a live dashboard was created to implement stale detection, showing all drivers, their current locations, and the time of the last location update. If staleness is detected, the dispatch center can call the driver to confirm their location. This allows Wanatu to direct the nearest driver to a trip request, improving both the customer and driver experience.

Van der Merwe added that another advantage of Google Mobility Services is the billing model. He explained: 'Google packaged this last-mile product with a unique commercial model. Standard Google Maps APIs and their pricing work on an input API basis, meaning there is a certain cost every time you call the API. It is pay-as-you-go. But a company like Wanatu charges customers a fixed or agreed rate. Therefore, instead of paying for all input APIs, Google bills for each successful trip.'

Grotius considers this model important for Wanatu. 'This was a major issue from the start because usually in the environment we operate in, as a new industry player, people want to see what the app looks like and how it works. So many consumers experiment without booking a trip, and in the past, we had to pay for that. With the Google Mobility package, it is no longer the case.'

Readiness for Growth

Grotius concluded: 'With our new systems, we are better equipped to identify additional revenue opportunities, discover reasons for revenue loss, improve fleet positioning, and raise our service standards. Customer satisfaction has also increased. We have received many wonderful positive reviews about the modernized platforms; customers say they are easier to use, ETAs are more accurate, and drivers are closer. This is because we now have the necessary information to place drivers in the right places at the right time and even predict demand.'

He also noted that 'Drivers gain much more efficiency in their daily lives. They are also satisfied that ETAs are accurate, as this in turn allows them to complete more trips and earn more tips and bonuses.'

Grotius stressed: 'Google Maps is a giant in this industry. It is constantly introducing new features, functionalities, and plug-in components. We haven't even explored the entire suite of Google Maps Mobility Services and all the plug-in components we can use. But since we have already integrated the Mobility Suite, we will be able to innovate and develop rapidly, staying at the forefront while Google continues to push boundaries.'

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Information about the project was provided by the project team, and the material was cited on ArchDaily in Portuguese.

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Smart Sampa system failure exposes access to over 58 thousand surveillance cameras in São Paulo

A vulnerability in Smart Sampa, the surveillance system operated by the São Paulo City Hall, allowed unauthorized access to over 58 thousand cameras. This exposure occurred after confidential data was available on the internet for approximately eleven months, affecting critical locations such as hospitals, schools, and daycare centers.

According to UOL, the compromised material included access credentials and information related to security agents. Although the city hall attributed the leak to a specific server and denied any failure in the program's security protocols, the public repository contained 181 pairs of authorized user logins and passwords, data from over six thousand security agents, in addition to instructions on replicating the system on mobile and computer devices.

With this obtained information, journalists were able to view images of vehicles and people circulating through the streets of the capital, as well as access cameras installed in centers for drug addicts, daycare centers, and hospitals. Furthermore, it was possible to access the Sentinelx platform, the technology provider, without needing to go through the two-factor authentication process.

After being notified, the city hall implemented security reinforcements. An additional investigation revealed interfaces that, according to a technology expert interviewed by UOL, could allow data transmission without adequate verification of the sender's identity. The risks went beyond images, as the credentials also provided access to records and personal information contained in the database.

Rafael Alcadipani, a professor at Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) and public safety specialist, warned that access to the images could expose the movement of security equipment and authorities, stating that such a state structure could be used by crimes against the State itself. Pedro Saliba, a researcher at Data Privacy Brasil, also voiced his criticism, classifying the incident as a 'very serious failure in terms of privacy and surveillance.'

Saliba emphasized that monitoring systems must adhere to the principles of the General Data Protection Law (LGPD), including transparency, necessity, purpose, and security in handling information. Data protection issues are compounded by the lack of clarity regarding the use of facial recognition. The City Hall reported that it does not have access to the source code, artificial intelligence models, or the databases used to train the algorithms, and that it does not conduct independent audits of these models.

Another point of attention raised by the records of approaches is as follows: between November 2024 and May 2026, 268 individuals were taken to police stations following facial recognition alerts but were later released. Of these cases, 75 presented identification inconsistencies, 181 had outdated warrants, and 12 had registration problems.

In an official statement, the São Paulo City Hall alleged that the leak was illegally caused by a server, which was identified, removed, and is under investigation by the Metropolitan Civil Guard's Inspectorate. The administration refuted the idea of weaknesses in the security mechanisms and contested the classification of the event as a platform failure. The city hall also detailed that it reinforced protection by implementing exclusive passwords, two-step authentication, and SMS validation for creating new passwords, mentioning the oversight of the Municipal Court of Accounts and the hiring of specialized consulting in governance and privacy.

Smart Sampa uses facial recognition to locate missing or wanted persons and to identify stolen or stolen vehicles. However, the exposure of the data calls into question both the access controls and the safeguarding of the information collected by this extensive urban surveillance network.