Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in Botswana - cash only, or do cards work too?
Botswana’s bus culture is part of the fun. I was staying at Cresta Lodge in Gaborone and used combis to get around. The drivers and conductors were always joking with passengers, music playing, people hopping on and off near Game City Mall. It cost just 4 pula and was all in coins. No cards or apps. For longer rides, like to Maun, the buses left from the main station and required cash tickets, but prices were fair. Keep coins ready and enjoy the experience - it’s not polished, but it’s real Botswana.
Transport in Botswana is cheap but a bit chaotic. From Francistown I tried catching a bus to Kasane, and it only took cash. I had pula but only in big notes, and they refused to break them. Had to buy snacks at a Spar nearby just to get change. In Gaborone too, the combis only want exact coins. Forget cards - nothing in the bus network takes them. It works if you’re prepared, but it felt frustrating sometimes. For smoother travel, maybe book private taxis through hotels, but budget extra.
I rode combis daily between my guesthouse in Village district and Riverwalk Mall. Every single time, it was cash - 5 pula. The conductor banged on the roof to stop, then came around collecting coins. It’s cheap and lively, but you need small notes. At the Gaborone bus rank, I tried buying a ticket to Lobatse with a card, and the clerk laughed. Cash only. Even Intercape, which runs big buses to Johannesburg, had their machine down and wanted pula bills. Don’t depend on cards for transport here.
There’s no metro in Gaborone or anywhere in Botswana. Public transport is mainly “combis” (shared minibuses) and long-distance buses from companies like Intercape. Payment is always cash, in pula. When I stayed near the Main Mall in Gaborone, I used combis along Nelson Mandela Drive, paying about 5 pula per ride. Conductors collect coins and don’t carry change for big notes. Cards aren’t accepted on buses. If you’re heading from Gaborone to Francistown or Maun, you buy tickets at the bus station in cash. Definitely no card options at the stations I used.