File illustration picture showing the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign in Frankfurt, September 15, 2014. A Frankfurt court earlier this month instituted a temporary injunction against Uber from offering car-sharing services across Germany. San Francisco-based Uber, which allows users to summon taxi-like services on their smartphones, offers two main services, Uber, its classic low-cost, limousine pick-up service, and Uberpop, a newer ride-sharing service, which connects private drivers to passengers – an established practice in Germany that nonetheless operates in a legal grey area of rules governing commercial transportation. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/Files (GERMANY – Tags: BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT CRIME LAW TRANSPORT)

Taxi business: 3 things unique to SA TAXI RANKS

Here’s more about three things you’ll only see in South African taxi ranks, including chickens – and something always for sale.

by Francois Jansen

25-01-2024 20:22

in Business

The taxi business is one of the things keeping South Africa running, though the ins-and-outs of local ranks can be difficult to explain sometimes. Some things are so unique to SA TAXI RANKS that anyone from outside the country might be a little confused without this guide.

ALSO READ: WATCH: SA’s Taxi Racing video game in action!

Have you ever?

If you’re a South African public transport commuter, the answer is probably yes.

ALSO READ: Taxi drivers in Grand Theft Auto 5 [Watch]

Here’s more about 3 things unique to the local minibus-industry, and things you’ll only see at ranks.

Taxi business: 3 things unique to SA TAXI RANKS

The taxi business gets people around: from parties to friends, from friends to work, and from work to home. If you can’t navigate the system, you’re missing out on a large part of being South African – and all people should take at least ONE trip in their lifetime.

ALSO READ: KFC, brandy, Kaizer Chiefs jersey: What SA’s lottery winners are buying

Here are 5 things unique to the local business (that you might not see anywhere else).

1. Chickens on the taxi

Yes, you read that right: chickens.

It’s not uncommon for live chickens to be sold near (or inside) South African ranks. Sometimes chickens are meant for eggs or pets, other times… Well, they’re eaten, there’s no other way to say it.

There’s real ettiquette associated with loading a chicken on a taxi, including a trusted carry method.

2. Someone selling something

If you’re waiting in a vehicle for more than 10 minutes, someone is selling something.

Who is selling what?

This depends on the setting, the time of day, and what is going around. Anything from a single phone charger to chips for the road.

Sometimes you can even buy onions if you forgot at home.

3. That folding taxi seat

Let’s explain: as you get into the vehicle, the first seat to the side folds up.

It comes as a surprise if you’ve never seen it before. Sometimes it’s a surprise even if you’ve been in the car a hundred times.

If you aren’t careful, you’ll whack someone with the seat – or you might spend an awkward second trapped between the seat, the door, and the next person on the vehicle.