Jay-Jay Maans, the long-serving chairperson of the Retreat Taxi Association, died on Friday, 25 September 2026, aged 69. His funeral took place at Zwaanswyk High School in Retreat on Saturday, 3 October at 7.30am, where hundreds of family, friends, community members, and taxi-industry colleagues gathered to pay tribute.
Maans dedicated 47 years to the taxi industry, including about a decade as chairperson of the Retreat Taxi Association. He was also reported to have served five years as president of the Two Oceans Regional Taxi Council, though this remains unconfirmed by independent sources. His role in the taxi industry made him well known across Retreat and the Southern Suburbs.
Tributes emphasised Maans’s impact beyond his official titles. “He was a leader, a father, a shepherd, a counsellor and a servant of the people,” said Sulaiman Brenner during the funeral service. Ebrahim Ganief echoed this sentiment, describing Maans as “not a boss; he was a father to all of us.”
Maans’s family shared the personal void his passing left. His son, Clint Maans, said, “For us as his children, and for our mother and grandchildren, his passing has left a huge void. He was our pillar – the person who was always there, always willing to protect us, guide us, and help us when we needed him.”
Though unverified, reports indicate Maans worked closely with the City of Cape Town on taxi and community matters and battled cancer for seven years prior to his death.
His funeral brought the community together to honour a figure whose presence spanned local transport and neighbourhood life. The gathering at Zwaanswyk High School reflected the deep respect held for Maans within the taxi industry and broader Retreat area.
Southern Mail was the first to report Maans’s passing and funeral arrangements on 2 October 2026. CapeFlats.co.za independently verified key details including his role and the funeral date. We await further confirmation on his other reported positions and community work.
CapeFlats.co.za will continue to follow developments related to Jay-Jay Maans’s legacy and community response in Retreat.