Minibus taxis are by far the most popular – and are often the cheapest – form of public transport in South Africa, used mainly by the urban and rural poor.
In Johannesburg, using a taxi can be bewildering, if you are not from the city of gold. Here’s a quick guide to ease your way.
To board a taxi in Joburg, you must first get to the right taxi rank. Here, hundreds of minibus taxis converge to ferry commuters to their various destinations in and out of Gauteng province, and even across the border to neighbouring countries.
The Johannesburg CBD has four major taxi ranks, at Noord Street, Bree Street, Wanderers and the Faraday market.
Noord Street is by far the largest and busiest rank in the middle of the city. As you approach the rank, especially during peak hours, you are swarmed by hordes of hurrying commuters. You are also confronted by hawkers peddling a variety of goods, ranging from foodstuff to clothing and anything else in-between.
The taxi ranks are the easiest part of your journey to navigate as there is signage. You stand in queues to board a taxi to your destination. It’s when you are not at a taxi rank that you have to be fluent in taxi sign language. There are no written signs. It’s all done by a complicated series of hand signals. And South African minibus taxis stop wherever they are needed along whatever road they are driving. They do not have designated stops; you simply have to flag one down – using the correct hand signal, of course.
