Scores reflect the Overall AI Score for each category
Based on recent customer reviews, Intercape is described by the majority of passengers as unreliable and difficult to resolve issues with. Recurring themes are long unexplained delays, mechanical breakdowns, unhygienic coaches and refunds that never arrive. A smaller but genuine thread of praise exists for individual drivers and ticket office staff who go out of their way, showing the operator can deliver when the right people are involved.
Top Strengths:
- •Customer Service & Travel Expertise: The strongest theme only because of standout individuals. Passengers name Crystal in the call centre, Emmanuel and Sinalo, driver Mr Mudau and Cape Town and Port Elizabeth office staff who stayed late and solved problems warmly.
TrustIndex
2
NPS Score
-77
Recommended: Unlikely
Nov '25 - Oct '26
Frequently Asked Questions About Intercape
What do customers say about Intercape?
Based on recent customer reviews, Intercape is described by the majority of passengers as unreliable and difficult to resolve issues with. Recurring themes are long unexplained delays, mechanical breakdowns, unhygienic coaches and refunds that never arrive. A smaller but genuine thread of praise exists for individual drivers and ticket office staff who go out of their way, showing the operator can deliver when the right people are involved.
What is Intercape's biggest strength?
Intercape's biggest strength, according to Hellopeter's AI analysis, is Customer Service & Travel Expertise. The strongest theme only because of standout individuals. Passengers name Crystal in the call centre, Emmanuel and Sinalo, driver Mr Mudau and Cape Town and Port Elizabeth office staff who stayed late and solved problems warmly.
What are the most common complaints about Intercape?
The most common complaint about Intercape, based on Hellopeter's AI analysis of recent customer reviews, is Booking, Changes & Cancellations. Paid seat reservations are routinely ignored by drivers, tickets are cancelled in error by agents, and Mainliner or Sleepliner bookings are swapped for Big Sky or Budgetliner. Passengers minutes late forfeit fares entirely.
Is Intercape trustworthy?
Intercape has a TrustIndex of 2 out of 10 on Hellopeter, based on 224 reviews in the last 12 months. Hellopeter has tracked Intercape across 2,544 total reviews. How is the TrustIndex calculated? →
Recent reviews (224)
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Used this business recently? Share your experience to help others decide.
Share Your Experience1 reviews | Active since Oct 2026
Difficulty retrieving lost item.
Been trying to contact them through their "24hr call centre" but they're unavailable. I sent emails to 2 different types of *** in an effort to try and retrieve a lost item and nobody has gotten back to me. Their services are beyond disappointing.
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2026
Difficulty retrieving lost item.
Been trying to contact them through their "24hr call centre" but they're unavailable. I sent emails to 2 different types of *** in an effort to try and retrieve a lost item and nobody has gotten back to me. Their services are beyond disappointing.
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2021
Complaint about Intercape bus service
On Sunday last week I took intercape bus from Cape Town to east london.When the bus was on the road I could here that it was not in a good mechanical state.When we reached Berlin close to East London it stopped and could no longer move We waited in a very hot weather waiting for the bus from East London I missed my business meeting which could have generated 500000.00 for me.No apology from the bus company it was just business as usual.Can the leadership of the company contact me to discuss what I have lost in terms of business as they knew that their bus was not road worthy due to mechanical fault. Frustrated passenger ***
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2021
Complaint about Intercape bus service
On Sunday last week I took intercape bus from Cape Town to east london.When the bus was on the road I could here that it was not in a good mechanical state.When we reached Berlin close to East London it stopped and could no longer move We waited in a very hot weather waiting for the bus from East London I missed my business meeting which could have generated 500000.00 for me.No apology from the bus company it was just business as usual.Can the leadership of the company contact me to discuss what I have lost in terms of business as they knew that their bus was not road worthy due to mechanical fault. Frustrated passenger ***
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2021
Unacceptable delays and generic responses—zero accountability
Headline: Unacceptable delays and generic responses—zero accountability I travelled with Intercape from JHB to Bellville (Tickets ***& ***). Both outbound and return trips suffered severe operational delays, with the return coach departing hours late from Johannesburg. Despite building a 2-hour buffer into my plans, the late arrival caused me to miss a pre-booked chauffeur service, resulting in direct financial loss and extra expense for emergency alternative transport. When I complained, customer support hid behind blanket T&Cs and falsely blamed passenger delays at refreshment stops—even though the drivers bypassed almost all stops on that trip. Under Section 54 of the CPA, consumers deserve timely service. Intercape refuses to take responsibility or offer any fair resolution (refund/voucher) for their operational failures. Very disappointing service!!!!!!!!!
1 reviews | Active since Sept 2021
Unacceptable delays and generic responses—zero accountability
Headline: Unacceptable delays and generic responses—zero accountability I travelled with Intercape from JHB to Bellville (Tickets ***& ***). Both outbound and return trips suffered severe operational delays, with the return coach departing hours late from Johannesburg. Despite building a 2-hour buffer into my plans, the late arrival caused me to miss a pre-booked chauffeur service, resulting in direct financial loss and extra expense for emergency alternative transport. When I complained, customer support hid behind blanket T&Cs and falsely blamed passenger delays at refreshment stops—even though the drivers bypassed almost all stops on that trip. Under Section 54 of the CPA, consumers deserve timely service. Intercape refuses to take responsibility or offer any fair resolution (refund/voucher) for their operational failures. Very disappointing service!!!!!!!!!
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2024
Terrible service received today
My day was ruined by the terrible service received at intercape Durban we we were taken by a minibus from beach front to Durban Station and when we got there we were told to get out and wait for our bus not one updated us and I had to go inside the offices to enquire and this gentleman with bad attitude didn't even want to listen to my complaint he just said what is your bus number and I asked myself how will I know the bus number because they just left us at Durban station and he showed no interest to my frustrations and didn't even bother telling me where is my bus nor bus number as he claimed the bus number. Until I approached a lady at the door and asked to see the manager and she said to me they have parking bay issue and the bus will arrive shortly only to find out the bus is parked on the other side and passangers were already in the bus and after 15 minutes she came and said please follow me and tlshe then took me to the bus with no apology.
1 reviews | Active since Jun 2024
Terrible service received today
My day was ruined by the terrible service received at intercape Durban we we were taken by a minibus from beach front to Durban Station and when we got there we were told to get out and wait for our bus not one updated us and I had to go inside the offices to enquire and this gentleman with bad attitude didn't even want to listen to my complaint he just said what is your bus number and I asked myself how will I know the bus number because they just left us at Durban station and he showed no interest to my frustrations and didn't even bother telling me where is my bus nor bus number as he claimed the bus number. Until I approached a lady at the door and asked to see the manager and she said to me they have parking bay issue and the bus will arrive shortly only to find out the bus is parked on the other side and passangers were already in the bus and after 15 minutes she came and said please follow me and tlshe then took me to the bus with no apology.
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2026
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Dear Intercape Customer Service, I would like to formally express my disappointment regarding my recent experience travelling with Intercape. I travelled to Durban on 2 October 2026, taking the 07:30 bus. Although the journey itself was generally fine, I later realised that I had not been placed on the Mainliner bus that I had originally paid for. While I appreciate that the trip was completed without major issues, I was disappointed that the service provided was not the one I had paid for. My return journey from Durban to Johannesburg on 5 October 2026 was particularly disappointing. There was a great deal of confusion at the Durban station regarding the bus numbers and routes, and there was very little clear communication or direction provided to passengers. We were left trying to establish where we needed to go and which bus we were supposed to board. When we eventually boarded bus *** to Johannesburg, the condition of the bus was not what I expected. It was not particularly clean, and there was also considerable noise from other passengers playing music loudly from their phones, which made the journey uncomfortable. The bus also made numerous stops along the way to pick up additional passengers, without any communication or explanation to those of us already on board. The bus was scheduled to arrive at Park Station at approximately 18:15, yet we only arrived in Johannesburg between 19:40 and 20:00. What was particularly disappointing was that there was no communication regarding the delay and no apology or acknowledgement from the staff. This was my first experience travelling with Intercape, and unfortunately, it has left me extremely disappointed. I had expected a professional, reliable and comfortable service, particularly given the reputation and cost of the service. Based on this experience, I am unfortunately left questioning whether I would use Intercape again or recommend the service to others. You have potentially lost a returning customer due to what I believe could have been addressed through better communication, organisation and customer service. I would appreciate it if Intercape could investigate the issues raised above and provide me with feedback regarding what happened, particularly regarding the bus I was allocated on 2 October, the confusion at the Durban station, and the significant delay on my return journey. I look forward to receiving your response. Kind regards, Kelebogile Nkosi
1 reviews | Active since Oct 2026
.
Dear Intercape Customer Service, I would like to formally express my disappointment regarding my recent experience travelling with Intercape. I travelled to Durban on 2 October 2026, taking the 07:30 bus. Although the journey itself was generally fine, I later realised that I had not been placed on the Mainliner bus that I had originally paid for. While I appreciate that the trip was completed without major issues, I was disappointed that the service provided was not the one I had paid for. My return journey from Durban to Johannesburg on 5 October 2026 was particularly disappointing. There was a great deal of confusion at the Durban station regarding the bus numbers and routes, and there was very little clear communication or direction provided to passengers. We were left trying to establish where we needed to go and which bus we were supposed to board. When we eventually boarded bus *** to Johannesburg, the condition of the bus was not what I expected. It was not particularly clean, and there was also considerable noise from other passengers playing music loudly from their phones, which made the journey uncomfortable. The bus also made numerous stops along the way to pick up additional passengers, without any communication or explanation to those of us already on board. The bus was scheduled to arrive at Park Station at approximately 18:15, yet we only arrived in Johannesburg between 19:40 and 20:00. What was particularly disappointing was that there was no communication regarding the delay and no apology or acknowledgement from the staff. This was my first experience travelling with Intercape, and unfortunately, it has left me extremely disappointed. I had expected a professional, reliable and comfortable service, particularly given the reputation and cost of the service. Based on this experience, I am unfortunately left questioning whether I would use Intercape again or recommend the service to others. You have potentially lost a returning customer due to what I believe could have been addressed through better communication, organisation and customer service. I would appreciate it if Intercape could investigate the issues raised above and provide me with feedback regarding what happened, particularly regarding the bus I was allocated on 2 October, the confusion at the Durban station, and the significant delay on my return journey. I look forward to receiving your response. Kind regards, Kelebogile Nkosi