Cape Town, South Africa

Getting around Cape Town

How to travel around Cape Town — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-09

1. MyCiTi bus

A clean BRT network covering the airport, the city bowl and the Atlantic seaboard.

Cost: ZAR 12–90

2. Uber and Bolt

Both widely used, and the standard local advice over unmetered taxis.

Watch outUnmetered taxis quoting inflated fares, particularly from the airport at night.

3. Rented car

The peninsula and winelands are impractical otherwise.

Watch outVehicle break-ins at trailheads and viewpoints are common; leave nothing visible, including an empty bag.

4. Metrorail

The southern line to Simon's Town is scenic but has had serious safety and reliability problems.

Tip: Check current advice; most visitors are steered away from it.

5. Unofficial parking attendants

Present at nearly every space, expecting a few rand.

Watch outDemands at spaces that are free or already paid, sometimes with implied threat to the car.

Booking apps in South Africa

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Uber

The most widely used ride-hailing app in South Africa.

Coverage: Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria.
Why it helps: Avoids the unmetered taxis quoting inflated fares, and the trip is tracked — which matters given the robbery risk.

Bolt

Competes closely with Uber on price across South African cities.

Coverage: All major cities.
Why it helps: Fare is agreed in the app before the trip, and the route is recorded — which removes the refused meter, the tampered meter and the fixed 'foreigner price' in one move.