Taxi Apps in Gaborone
Published: 17 April 2026
When getting around Gaborone, one would often resort to the popular option of a ride-hailing or taxi app. Whatever type of app you want to call it, it sure is highly convenient and most often an quick and affordable way to get to where you need to be.
It is important to note here, despite rumors and false information on other platforms, that Uber and Bolt are NOT available in Botswana and you won’t find a driver in those apps when in Gaborone. The main options here are called InDrive – also a big player across many cities and countries, with a cool concept of pricing and usually fairer compensation for drivers – and Yango – another powerhouse, especially across Africa and Europe, with affordable rides and promotions.
Price wise, rides are generally comparably affordable in Gaborone, with rides starting from as low as P20 (R25/€1.30/$1.50) and rarely exceeding P80 (R100/€5/$6) within the city bounds. As mentioned below, it is advisable to up the price a bit on InDrive and to tip drivers on Yango, as prices are mostly foreign set and sometimes don’t account for the on-the-ground economics.
As Google Maps and others are sometimes not 100% accurate in Gaborone, and addresses are not commonly used here, we often go by landmarks, common places like filling stations, shops, hotels or malls, or even route descriptions when guiding a driver to where you are or where you want to go. So if your pin is not perfectly accurate or you can’t find your driver, it’s always best to call through and talk about where to meet.
On an added note: There have been different attempts at developing a local app by Batswana and we’re always on the lookout for them, as it would be great to counter foreign owned solutions that control pricing and conditions – so far, however, we haven’t seen a fully rolled out competitor (we’ve had our eyes on Areye for instance, but ride requests have previously been unsuccessful). If you’re ahead of us, let us know about what to include soon!
Apps:
InDrive
Yango
BONUS
InDrive
InDrive is the most popular and common app for ride-hailing in Gaborone and rides are available almost everywhere in town within a few minutes waiting time. Though similar to global leaders like Uber and Bolt, the twist is that the price is set by you and "negotiated" by the drivers with a counter offers. Compared to other major cities, cabs are fairly affordable in Gaborone, with rides usually costing around p30-p40 for a normal trip while p50-p60 should get you fully across town.
Explorer’s note: During month-end (starting from after the 20th and lasting into the first days of the next month) drivers will get way pickier with their rides and prices, so you’ll have to up your initial price by quite a bit due to popular demand.
Download: Apple Store, Google Play
Yango
Yango entered Gaborone not too long ago but has taken a bit of a market share since. Though not as popular as InDrive, which can sometimes lead to unavailability of drivers nearby, it is a great alternative and comes at app-defined, and very attractive prices. Yango is even more affordable to InDrive with rides starting as low as p20 (or sometimes even below) with regular discounts and promotions.
Explorer’s note: Please tip your drivers, the economics sometimes don’t quite add up and our local drivers are on the receiving end of prices set in faraway boardrooms.
Download: Apple Store, Google Play
BONUS: Regular Cabs
Alternative to the common apps, there are in fact also regular cabs on the road, and particularly at places of arrival (airport, busrank, etc.) you’ll find a taximan to negotiate a ride with. While we recommend that option particularly when arriving by bus, as the drivers often come in with quite the fair prices and are open to negotiating, we would recommend to be extra vigilant at the airport where drivers regularly demand highly inflated prices that make little sense when comparing to your usual ride in town. And the airport is not as far out as in other cities.
So: When somewhere in the city, especially at the bus rank where InDrive and Yango drivers are actually not even allowed in, it can be a viable option to go with a regular taxi/cab. When coming in at the Airport, however, opt for an app and hope that they’ll be nearby or make the way out there (put the price a slight bit higher than usual). Alternatively you can get a lift until Airport Junction Mall and you’ll find plenty InDrive and Yango drivers there.
Explorer’s note: When a car has a 'Taxi' sign on top, that doesn’t necessarily mean its a private taxi in the traditional sense! Often when you see a small car like a Honda Fit with a yellow sign on the roof, it is a shared taxi for dedicated routes, similar to combis (see Modes of Transport in Gaborone), offering affordable rides shared with other passengers.