Patience Makwele
Taxi drivers in Katima Mulilo say the new N$15 taxi fare mainly benefits operators in bigger towns like Windhoek.
Yesterday, the taxi fare increase took effect across the country.
A taxi driver in Katima Mulilo, Kamwi Muhamubi, said even the previous N$13 fare was difficult to enforce because many commuters negotiated lower prices or claimed they did not have enough money.
“This N$15 is only benefiting drivers in bigger towns like Windhoek. Here in Katima Mulilo, people never even wanted to pay N$13,” he said.
“Sometimes you spend the whole day working and go home with only N$500 because customers refuse to pay full fares.”
Muhamubi said taxi operators in smaller towns are often forced to accept lower payments to avoid conflict with passengers.
“You try to explain to customers that fuel is expensive and we also have families to feed, but they still insist on paying N$10. You don’t really have a choice because if you argue too much, problems start,” he said.
He added that some drivers believe the fare should have increased to at least N$20 to match operational costs.
“The fuel price is too high compared to what we are making. This is our only source of survival. We don’t sit in offices waiting for salaries at month-end,” he said.
Another taxi driver in Oshakati said drivers in northern towns are also struggling despite the approved increase.
“People think taxi drivers are making money, but they do not understand how difficult things have become. Vehicle parts are expensive, fuel is expensive and customers still want to bargain every day,” he said.
“We appreciate the increase, but honestly, it still does not solve the bigger problem.”
The increase forced commuters to dig deeper into their pockets, triggering frustration among workers, students and informal traders already struggling with rising living costs, unemployment and stagnant salaries.
At taxi ranks in Windhoek and other towns, passengers argued with drivers, counted coins and reluctantly paid the new fare, while some chose to walk after failing to negotiate prices.
Commuters said the increase would place additional pressure on households that rely heavily on taxis for work, school and business activities.
“I’m already cutting down on groceries because life is expensive,” a domestic worker who identified herself as Meme Petrina told the Windhoek Observer.
“You see this new taxi increment; it is unfair to us elderly people who are struggling to even put food on the table. They failed to help us get even a N$300 increase on our pension grant and now transport has also gone up. At the end of the month, what are we supposed to live on?”
University student Peter Namundjebo said the increase would affect students surviving on tight budgets.
“People think N$2 is small, but if you use taxis every day, it becomes a lot over a month. Some of us students already skip meals and now transport has increased. We honestly don’t know how we are going to survive because it comes at a time when we are busy with exams. At this point our only hope is if NSFAF comes through with the little payments,” he said.
Taxi operators defended the increase, saying rising fuel prices, vehicle repairs and rental costs continue to affect the industry.
One taxi driver operating between Katutura and Windhoek’s central business district said many drivers are barely surviving.
“Passengers think drivers are greedy, but they don’t see what we spend on fuel, repairs and tyres. Sometimes after fuel and rentals, you go home with almost nothing and most of these drivers are not driving their own cars, they are working for others,” he said.
The Ministry of Works and Transport approved the 15% fare increase after consultations with the Road Transportation Board of Namibia following complaints from operators over fuel and maintenance costs.
Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi said taxis and buses remain important for daily transport despite the financial pressure facing operators.
The taxi fare increased from N$13 to N$15 since yesterday.
E-hailing service Yango has also increased fares by 5%, citing fuel prices and regulatory compliance costs.
Economist David Amutenya warned that rising transport costs could place more pressure on low-income households.
“When transport costs increase, the impact spreads quickly across the economy. Informal traders pay more to buy stock, workers spend more getting to work and consumers eventually pay higher prices for goods and services,” he said.
“For households already living from pay cheque to pay cheque, even a N$2 increase becomes significant over time, especially for families where multiple people rely on taxis every day. These increases slowly erode disposable income and place additional strain on already vulnerable households.”
A street vendor operating in Windhoek’s central business district said she may now have to increase prices to recover transport expenses.
“If transport becomes expensive, business also suffers because we travel every day to buy stock and even to show up,” she said.
