South Africa

Benjarit

Living costs in South Africa are not very expensive but transportation expenses are relatively high compared to other activities. Metered taxis start off at 2 Rands and increase 10 Rands for every kilometre. Every taxi ride becomes a luxury. But in Cape Town, there is a service called Rikki, which works a little bit differently. A Rikki is a black London cab, which takes 5 people. You have to make a phone call to the Rikki call centre and tell them where you are, the destination and number of passengers. The call centre will determine the route we take and also pick up other passengers along the way. Each passenger has to pay a fixed price of 20 Rands for this semi-private transport.

The thing I like about this kind of trip is that besides the cheaper fare, it is a perfect opportunity to make unexpected encounter with total stranger. Finding an issue to start talking is not awkward because you get the slight idea of where they live or are going. With the friendly open-minded nature of the South African, taking a Rikki ride always guarantees a pleasant trip.