Commuters in Johannesburg and Gaborone rely on minibuses and shared taxis to get to work, school and other destinations.
But how much do passengers pay to travel around the two cities?
With taxi fares increasing on several Johannesburg routes in 2026 and Botswana’s government reversing a proposed public transport fare increase, the cost of commuting offers an interesting comparison between the neighbouring countries.
How much Gaborone commuters pay for local combis
According to Botswana government publication DailyNews, local minibuses, commonly known as combis, charge P9 per trip.
Shared taxis cost P10 per passenger per trip, following the government’s reversal of a proposed fare increase in April 2026.
The fares apply to local transport, while longer journeys have separate charges based on distance and road type.
In July 2026, Botswana’s Guardian Sun reported that transport operators were still pushing for the implementation of higher fares. However, the published fares remained P9 for local combis and P10 for shared taxis.
What Johannesburg commuters pay for minibus taxis
In Johannesburg, minibus taxi fares depend on the route and the taxi association operating the service.
A fare list published by Loxion Express in May 2026 showed that passengers travelling from Baragwanath taxi rank to Johannesburg’s central business district paid R19.
The same fare applied to several other routes connecting Soweto with the city centre.
Other journeys cost more or less, depending on the distance and destination. For example, the published list showed fares of R16 for certain shorter routes and R30 for the journey between Baragwanath and Palm Springs.
The figures reflect route-specific fare changes introduced by taxi associations in April and May 2026.
How much does a monthly commute cost?
For a commuter making two trips daily over 22 working days, Botswana’s P9 combi fare would amount to P396 per month. Using shared taxis at P10 per trip would bring the monthly total to P440.
In Johannesburg, a passenger paying R19 per trip for a return commute over the same number of working days would spend R836 per month.
These figures illustrate how daily fares add up, but they do not establish which city offers cheaper transport overall.
The journeys may cover different distances, and Botswana’s totals are in pula rather than rand.
A fair comparison requires converting the figures using the same day’s exchange rate and matching routes of similar lengths.
For commuters in both cities, the real cost depends on where they live, where they work and how much they pay for each leg of their journey.