Minibus taxis are a notorious menace to other road users. However, they are also a highly efficient transport service for many daily commuters as they cover almost all areas of the city. They stop, abruptly, when requested to pick up or drop off people, are often poorly maintained and love to break traffic rules. Turf battles between taxi firms have at times erupted in violence, which contributes to the industry’s bad reputation.

Minibus taxis do not have routes displayed and can only be hailed by displaying the appropriate hand signal for your desired destination - and there are dozens of these [See our guide to Taxi hand signs here]. The main city centre taxi ranks are under Park Station or MTN in the fashion district. Be vigilant at the taxi ranks as they tend to be very crowded and you should avoid taking minibus taxis after dark.

Hand the fair to the driver - between R5 to R10 for short journeys. Drivers prefer coins or small notes. You need to call out in advance when you want to get off - giving a landmark, such as 'after the robots' is usually the easiest.

Although travelling by minibus taxi can be intimidating at first, for adventurous travellers it offers a great insight into everyday South African life.