A mini-bus taxi strike in Cape Town has ended following days of violent protests leaving a trail of economic loses.

Angry protesters torched buses and cars and pelted the police with stones during the 8-day protest, with damages estimated at 50 million rand ($ 2.65 million) a day, according to the South Africa National Taxi Council (SANTACO).

Sporadic violence erupted in different parts of the city after a new municipal law gave local authorities the power to impound vehicles for violations such as driving without a licence or registration plates.

SANTACO deputy chairperson Nceba Enge said the organisation is being guided by its legal team regarding an interdict for which it had intended to apply, which would have compelled the city to release impounded vehicles.

"We hope this is a learning curve. Discussions are the cornerstone of resolving the problems," Enge said during a joint press conference with Premier Alan Winde and Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewison on Friday.

Bittersweet

Winde stated that the latest strike has ended but that a taxi task team established in February will reconvene to put in place an "escalation system" buffer which is "another layer before we end in strike action."

Hill-Lewis termed the resolution "bittersweet" and an “unnecessary extension” as the agreement is almost identical to the one put on the table a week ago.

He said the impoundments would continue under the National Land Transport Act but the taxi task team will begin work to draw up a list of minor and major infringements over the next 14 days.

However, the taxi council deputy chairperson Enge said two weeks would not be enough to sort out "some of the issues on the table".

The strike by taxi drivers was against a new traffic law which allows police to impound the vehicles of offenders. The protest had hampered food deliveries with supermarkets and tuck shops running out of staples such as bread and milk.