Can I use a card to pay for taxis in Congo, or should I carry local cash?
If you’re staying at the Pulchérie Hotel or near Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat, some taxi drivers might claim to take cards, but usually, they don’t. Most rides around towns and markets are cash-only. My tip: withdraw from local banks like Ecobank or Bank of Central African States ahead of trips since ATMs are spotty.
Honestly, cards aren’t widely accepted in Congo taxis, so I carried cash most of the time. Taxi fares in Brazzaville were usually affordable in cash-expect to pay about 2,000 XAF for short city rides. The drivers appreciated small bills and sometimes no change, so have exact cash ready.
Tried cards once at a taxi near the Congo River waterfront, but the machine was down. From my experience, Congo’s taxi drivers aren’t setup for cards, especially in more local neighborhoods. Cash is the way to go, especially around busy hubs like Marché Central or Avenue des Armées.
In Brazzaville and Kinshasa, I mostly paid cash in Central African CFA francs for taxis. A few upscale taxis or hotel transfers near places like the Grand Hotel or InterContinental might take cards, but that’s rare. I’d recommend always having cash, around 10,000-20,000 XAF, for taxi rides to avoid surprises.