SaaS platforms
Embed live vehicle tracking into your own product without building telematics from scratch. Useful for logistics SaaS, field-service tools and any application that needs to know where a vehicle is in real time.
REST API · South Africa
Car Tracking API for
Car Tracking API for
South African Businesses
Build vehicle tracking into your own software. The Tracking Co's REST API returns real-time locations, trips, geofence events and device status in JSON — included in every TTC subscription from R50 per device per month. No enterprise tier, no per-call fee, no separate API contract.
- REST + JSON
- SA-hosted
- Webhooks included
- Included in every subscription
01 · Plain English
What is a car tracking API?
A car tracking API is a way for your software to pull live vehicle data directly from a tracking platform — automatically and in real time. Instead of staff logging into a tracking website and exporting reports, your dispatch system, fleet dashboard, insurance app or ERP requests the data it needs and uses it instantly.
The Tracking Co's REST API exposes the same data the platform itself uses: where each vehicle is, where it has been, what alerts have fired and how its devices are behaving. You authenticate once with your API hash, call an endpoint, and get back JSON your application can work with.
02 · Use cases
What you can build with the TTC API
Six common patterns we see from developers, founders and integration teams in South Africa.
Logistics & dispatch
Push live positions into dispatch screens, surface trip events to operations dashboards, and trigger workflows when a vehicle arrives, leaves a site or enters a geofence.
Insurtech & telematics
Pull driver-behaviour, trip and event data into usage-based insurance pricing engines or fleet underwriting models. SA-hosted data keeps POPIA conversations simple.
Dealer DMS integration
Connect customer vehicles to your DMS so service advisors, owners and finance teams see the same trip history, alerts and device health in one place.
Custom dashboards & internal tools
Build a fleet view that fits the business — KPI tiles, exception views, anything Excel can’t do well. ETL the data into BigQuery, Snowflake or PowerBI for analytics.
White-label apps
Launch a tracking product under your own brand using TTC infrastructure. Combine the API with our white-label platform — see white-label options below.
03 · Data model
What the API returns
The TTC API exposes the full data model the platform runs on. Endpoints are grouped by concept — read each group below.
Vehicles & devices
- Real-time positions (latitude, longitude, speed, course)
- Online / offline status and last-seen timestamp
- Ignition state and power status
- Device model, IMEI and protocol
- Engine, battery and telemetry where supported
Trips & history
- Trip start, end and route segments
- Distance, duration and address resolution
- Speed, course and timestamp per point
- Filterable by device, group or date range
Events & alerts
- Geofence enter and exit events
- Overspeed, AC, panic and tamper alerts
- Alarm history per device
- Alert configuration (thresholds, distance, contacts)
Drivers, geofences & accounts
- Driver profiles and vehicle assignments
- Geofence definitions (polygons, addresses, groups)
- Account, group and sub-account structure
- Device-to-driver mapping and history
04 · Specification
Technical specification
The hard facts developers ask first.
Protocol
REST over HTTPS
Format
JSON
Base URL
https://login.thetrackingco.co.za/api/
Authentication
Token (user_api_hash) passed as a query parameter on every request
Language parameter
lang=en (default)
Documentation
Hosting
Dedicated South African infrastructure
Webhooks
Available — configured per integration
Rate limits
Designed for production use; higher limits available on request
Support
SA-based developers, weekday business hours
05 · Code examples
Two read endpoints to get started
Full reference with every endpoint, parameter and response shape is at /api-docs/.
GET
https://login.thetrackingco.co.za/api/get_devices_latest Get latest device positions
Returns every vehicle’s most recent position, ignition state and timestamp. Useful for refreshing a live map view at regular intervals.
Query Parameters
-
langstring required Default:en -
user_api_hashstring required Default:YOUR_API_HASH
Request · Shell / cURL
curl --request GET \
--url 'https://login.thetrackingco.co.za/api/get_devices_latest?lang=en&user_api_hash=YOUR_API_HASH' \
--header 'Accept: application/json' Response example · 200 OK
{
"items": [
{
"id": 3,
"name": "Device name",
"online": "offline",
"alarm": "",
"time": "2016-04-29 21:01:26",
"timestamp": 1461956486,
"acktimestamp": 0,
"speed": 0,
"lat": 55.922996,
"lng": 23.3466906,
"course": "0",
"power": "-",
"altitude": 175,
"address": "-",
"protocol": "osmand",
"driver": "Drive first",
"sensors": "[\n {\n \"name\": \"Sensor test\",\n \"value\": \"- nn\",\n \"show_in_popup\": \"0\"\n },\n {\n \"name\": \"test acc\",\n \"value\": \"- nn\",\n \"show_in_popup\": \"1\"\n }\n]",
"services": "[\n {\n \"name\": \"Test service\",\n \"value\": \"Engine hours Left (1000 )\"\n }\n]",
"tail": "[\n {\n \"lat\": \"55.91986482\",\n \"lng\": \"23.3255625\"\n },\n {\n \"lat\": \"55.91590619\",\n \"lng\": \"23.33778733\"\n },\n {\n \"lat\": \"55.91928624\",\n \"lng\": \"23.34572509\"\n },\n {\n \"lat\": \"55.92336524\",\n \"lng\": \"23.34666575\"\n },\n {\n \"lat\": \"55.92297793\",\n \"lng\": \"23.34665713\"\n }\n]",
"distance_unit_hour": "kph",
"device_data": {
"id": "3",
"traccar_device_id": "3",
"icon_id": "8",
"active": "1",
"deleted": "0",
"name": "Device name",
"imei": "789832",
"fuel_measurement_id": "1",
"fuel_quantity": "0.00",
"fuel_price": "0.00",
"fuel_per_km": "0.00",
"sim_number": "",
"device_model": "",
"plate_number": "",
"vin": "",
"registration_number": "",
"object_owner": "",
"expiration_date": "0000-00-00",
"tail_color": "#33cc33",
"tail_length": "5",
"engine_hours": "gps",
"detect_engine": "gps",
"min_moving_speed": "6",
"min_fuel_fillings": "10",
"min_fuel_thefts": "10",
"snap_to_road": "0",
"created_at": "2016-04-25 16:21:19",
"updated_at": "2016-06-26 15:52:46",
"pivot": {
"user_id": "2",
"device_id": "3",
"group_id": null,
"current_driver_id": "1",
"active": "1",
"timezone_id": null
},
"group_id": null,
"current_driver_id": "1"
}
}
],
"events": [],
"time": 1466992735,
"version": "2.5.1"
} GET
https://login.thetrackingco.co.za/api/get_alerts Get alerts
Returns the alerts configured on the account — overspeed thresholds, distance limits, AC alarms, panic events. Use this to display, modify or trigger workflows from alert configuration.
Query Parameters
-
langstring required Default:en -
user_api_hashstring required Default:YOUR_API_HASH
Request · Shell / cURL
curl --request GET \
--url 'https://login.thetrackingco.co.za/api/get_alerts?lang=en&user_api_hash=YOUR_API_HASH' \
--header 'Accept: application/json' Response example · 200 OK
{
"status": 1,
"items": {
"alerts": [
{
"id": 1,
"user_id": 2,
"active": 1,
"name": "Test event",
"overspeed_speed": "110",
"overspeed_distance": "1",
"ac_alarm": "0",
"created_at": "2016-04-29 17:34:07",
"devices": [3],
"geofences": []
}
]
}
}These are read-only examples. The full API includes endpoints for trips, history, geofences, drivers, sub-accounts and device configuration — all documented at /api-docs/.
06 · Pricing
Included in your subscription
There is no API tier, no per-call fee and no enterprise minimum at The Tracking Co. Every paid subscription includes full API access at no extra cost.
API access
Included free
from R50 / device / month
Webhooks & events
Included
no usage caps
Custom development
R750 / hour
only if you need bespoke work
See full subscription pricing · request a quote
07 · Security
Authentication, security & data residency
- Token authentication. Every API request carries a
user_api_hashtoken, tied to your TTC account and passed as a query parameter. - HTTPS only. All traffic between your application and the TTC API is encrypted in transit. No HTTP fallback.
- South African data residency. The platform runs on dedicated SA infrastructure — your fleet data never leaves the country. This keeps POPIA compliance straightforward and reduces latency for SA applications.
- Hash rotation. You can rotate your API hash on request by contacting TTC support. Issuance is tied to verified TTC accounts.
08 · Custom work
Need a custom endpoint or integration?
If your project needs a bespoke endpoint, a custom field, or a one-off integration with a specific system, TTC offers paid development at R750 per hour. Most projects scope at 5–20 hours.
- ERP and accounting connectors (Sage, Xero, custom)
- Dealer DMS integrations
- Custom fleet dashboards and reporting tools
- White-label mobile apps on top of the API
- ETL pipelines into data warehouses (BigQuery, Snowflake)
- Bespoke webhook handlers and automation
09 · White-label
Selling tracking under your own brand?
The Tracking Co's platform supports white-label deployment. Combine the API with our white-label option to launch a fully-branded tracking product without building backend infrastructure from scratch — the platform, the apps and the data all carry your brand.
See white-label options → 10 · Getting started
Four steps to integration
- 1
Subscribe to any TTC plan
From R50 per device per month. The hardware is sold outright (from R499). No contracts, cancel any time.
- 2
Request your API hash
Contact TTC support and ask for API access on your account. We issue your
user_api_hashdirectly — usually within one business day. - 3
Read the docs
The full reference is at /api-docs/ — every endpoint, parameter and response shape, auto-generated from the OpenAPI spec.
- 4
Start integrating
Build against the REST endpoints, register webhooks for the events you care about, and reach out to TTC's developers for any technical questions along the way.
11 · Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a car tracking API?
A car tracking API is an interface that lets your software pull live vehicle data — locations, trips, alerts, device status — directly from a tracking platform. Instead of staff exporting reports manually, your dispatch system, fleet dashboard, insurance app or ERP requests the data programmatically and uses it in real time.
Is the TTC API really included in my subscription?
Yes. Every paid TTC subscription from R50 per device per month includes full API access at no extra cost. There is no separate API tier, no per-call fee and no enterprise minimum.
How do I get an API key for The Tracking Co?
Contact TTC support after subscribing. Your API hash is issued from your account record and can be rotated on request. There is no self-serve dashboard for API keys — credentials are tied to verified TTC accounts to keep things secure.
Where is the data hosted?
Dedicated South African infrastructure. Your fleet data never leaves South Africa, which keeps POPIA compliance straightforward and reduces latency for SA-based applications.
Is there a sandbox or test environment?
Yes. Speak to TTC support during evaluation and you can be issued a test hash to develop against. We can also point your test environment at a real device on a temporary subscription so you can see live data during integration.
How is authentication handled?
Every API request carries your user_api_hash token as a query parameter. The token is account-scoped, only works over HTTPS, and can be rotated by contacting support.
How are errors handled?
Endpoints return standard HTTP status codes (200, 400, 401, 500) and the JSON response includes a structured status field. Error responses describe what failed so your application can handle it gracefully.
Where is the API documentation?
The live reference is at /api-docs/. It is auto-generated from the OpenAPI specification and includes every endpoint, parameter, request example and response shape.
Does the API support webhooks?
Yes. Webhooks for events (geofence enter/exit, alerts, ignition changes) can be configured per integration. Speak to TTC support to register webhook endpoints for your account.
Can I build a white-label app on top of the API?
Yes — it is a common use case. You can use the API alone if you are building from scratch, or combine it with TTC’s white-label platform for a faster path to launch. See our white-label options for full reseller deployment.
Does The Tracking Co provide developer support?
Yes. South African developers answer technical questions during weekday hours — no call centres, no Tier 1 ticket queues. Most queries are answered the same day.
What if I need a custom endpoint or feature?
Custom development is available at R750 per hour. Common projects include bespoke endpoints, dealer DMS connectors, ERP integrations, ETL pipelines into data warehouses and custom dashboards. Most projects scope at 5–20 hours.
Build on real tracking data.
Get an API hash, read the docs, and start integrating. SA-hosted, included in your subscription, no contracts to sign.