Johannesburg, 17 September 2025 – They wake up long before the cities stir and return home long after the streets fall silent. They carry millions of South Africans to job interviews, school runs, first dates, funerals, and countless journeys that define our daily lives. Taxi drivers are not just moving people; they are moving the economy. Without them, South Africa grinds to a halt.
Yet, the very drivers who keep the country beating face conditions that put their own health at risk. Long hours, irregular meals, high stress and limited access to healthcare mean that many are vulnerable to heart disease, the leading cause of death globally. In South Africa, one in four people lives with hypertension, and 110 die every day from heart-related illnesses. For many drivers, a simple health check could be the difference between life and death.
On 17 September 2025, The South African Heart Association will bring the solution directly to them. At the iconic Bara Taxi Rank in Soweto, the organisation will host a ground-breaking community heart screening event as part of its “Check My Beat – Heart Health Tracks” campaign.
The initiative is as innovative as it is urgent. Taxi drivers will undergo instant, non-invasive screenings that measure blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital indicators. Then, in a world-first twist, their results will be transformed into a personalised song, a “Heart Health Track”. Each track, performed in maskandi, fuses heartbeat rhythms with personal motivations for staying healthy, turning invisible risks into an audible, unforgettable anthem.
“Taxi drivers keep South Africa moving, but their own health often takes a back seat,” said Dr David Jankelow, Clinical Cardiologist at Netcare Linksfield and Media, Funder and Digital Innovations Committee of SA Heart® “With Check My Beat, we’re not just offering screenings. We’re creating a movement that speaks to people in a language they understand, music and proving that prevention is the strongest beat of all.”
This campaign builds on a 2024 pilot, which screened an unprecedented number of taxi drivers and uncovered alarming statistics: 75% were overweight, and only one in four had a healthy BMI. For most, it was the first heart assessment of their lives. The findings revealed an urgent national gap: the communities that carry South Africa are falling through the cracks of healthcare.
Check My Beat is more than a health drive. It is training over 20 students in AI-driven healthcare, seeding the next generation of innovators. It is empowering local communities by bringing screenings to the heart of everyday life. And above all, it is re-humanising taxi drivers, not just as workers, but as fathers, mothers, breadwinners, and community leaders whose lives matter.
SA Heart’s® message is simple but powerful: every South African heartbeat counts. And the ones that keep the country moving deserve to be heard the loudest.
“We are honoured to stand alongside our partners in driving this groundbreaking initiative within the taxi industry. We believe that prioritising the health and well-being of taxi drivers is not only a matter of care but a cornerstone of safe, secure, and efficient transport operations that keep our nation moving. By championing initiatives like Check My Beat, we are not only protecting drivers’ health but also strengthening the very foundation of our transport system and the communities it serves,” said a JoziMyJozi spokesperson.
This initiative is made possible through the collaborative effort of key partners: Anglo American, Abby, Betway Cares Foundation, Cipla, JoziMyJozi, Nahana Communications Group, Wits University and World Heart Federation. Together, they bring expertise, resources, and commitment to making heart health accessible for the taxi industry.
