Not sure if I should carry coins for public transport in Mozambique or if card payments are common. Advice?
The biggest issue was breaking big notes. In Beira, I withdrew 500 MZN from a BCI ATM, and the chapa conductor refused it. He wanted small bills only. I had to walk around for 30 minutes until a shop gave me change. No cards, no machines - just coins. Tourists should plan ahead with small denominations.
I actually liked the simplicity - chapas were super cheap and frequent, only a few meticais per ride. Locals helped me figure out the routes. ATMs from Standard Bank in central Maputo worked fine, and once I got change, using minibuses was straightforward. It’s not modern, but it works.
I stayed near Baixa in Maputo and used chapas daily to Costa do Sol beach. Each ride was 10-15 MZN, and the conductor only took coins. I withdrew cash from a Millennium BIM ATM near Avenida 25 de Setembro, but it gave large notes that no driver wanted. I had to buy water at a kiosk to break them down. Intercity buses to Inhambane also insisted on cash - no card machines at all.
Public transport in Mozambique is mostly cash-only. Chapas (minibuses) and buses in Maputo, Beira, and Nampula require metical coins or small notes. No cards are accepted onboard. Some new buses in Maputo have experimented with prepaid cards, but it’s not common yet. ATMs from Millennium BIM, Standard Bank, and BCI are available in cities, though they sometimes run out of cash. Always carry meticais in small bills for smooth rides.