Do I need a car to live in Cape Town?

yes, public tranpsort is the country's achilles heel

Hello!

Public transport is better in Cape Town than in any other South African city -- and in the daytime, getting to/from work, you won't have a problem finding a bus/taxi/train to get you where you need to go.

Unfortunately, however, these options become a little more dicey at night, so unless you want to spend lots of money on metred taxis every time you need to leave your house after sunset, I'd recommend buying yourself car.

I've managed for four years in Cape Town sans car, but it's certainly a big freedom to sacrifice. If you don't want to buy straight away when you arrive, you can rent a rust-bucket of an old VW Beetle for less than 2000 ZAR per month. For more information go to Bestbeetle.co.za. Keep in mind these are for expats on a budget. Otherwise, you'll need to see what kind of long-term rental prices the larger car dealerships, like Avis and Europcar, can offer. Don't expect a price less than 250 ZAR a day for even their lowest end vehicle though.

Cape Town's public transport is ok, if you get to grips with the minibus taxi system, so you can live without a car if you reside in the city bowl and spend most of your time there. The middle path between owning a car and relying on public transport is to buy a scooter (Vespa). Second hand models start from R5000 ($700) and they cost very little to run.

You don't need to purchase a car in Cape Town, but you have to make sure that you live in the City Centre. If you live in the suburbs - you can't live without one. Taxi's are few and far between! There is lots of public transportation available, but you have to be aware of the safety concerns. Daytime is fine and relatively safe, although you have to be aware of where you are going and which routes are safe. In the beginning I would recommend getting the telephone number of a good taxi service and using them until you get to know a local that can show you how to use local transport. Exite taxi's were my favourite! The rule in South Africa is never to flag down a taxi, always phone and order! However, if you have a choice, just get a car! I wouldn't get too old a car though, the last thing you want to happen to you is to break down on a highway in the middle of the night. Cape Town is a great city, and you will have a wonderful time!

The newly opened MyCiti rapid bus service is a huge boost for anyone wanting to use public transport in the city. There are 4 main routes:

• The Gardens-Civic-Waterfront feeder service in the central city
• The airport service, from Cape Town International Airport to the central city
• The trunk route between Table View and the Civic Centre in the central city (this uses a dedicated lane which means rapid commute times even in rush hour.)
• Feeder services in the areas of Table View, Blaauwberg and Parklands and Big Bay

Remarkably for public transport in Cape Town the buses are comfortable, safe, clean and affordable with tickets ranging from R5 to a max of R10.

I spend two weeks in Cape Town in 2010 and took the train from Claremont to the city centre almost daily and it was fine. I would take it during daylight only, but it was a great short/mid term solution. Im now considering moving to Cape Town for a while (year perhaps) and this car thing is an issue as I can't not drive due health reasons but the above sounds positive....

Hi Weronika-

Yes indeed, the new MyCiti buses are fantastic, but service is VERY limited at the moment - routes do not reach to Claremont or any of the southern suburbs. In my opinion, the best course of action if owning a car in Cape Town is NOT an option, would be to find accommodation near a train station, and to make sure you're within easy access of key amenities (ie. grocery store, bank, pharmacy. etc.). 

Life is definitely more difficult without a vehicle, and can be infinitely more frustrating, but there's millions of people that operate without an automobile everyday. So, it's not the end of the world.