Cape Town taxi violence has now reached inside the airport. On Friday, Cape Town International said unrest linked to a feud between rival taxi associations had affected its staffing, leaving long lines at security and delaying 60 flights by early afternoon, most of them domestic departures, by about an hour on average. No flights had been canceled. Travelers are being urged to arrive four hours before international flights and three hours before domestic ones until further notice.
What's Happening
The violence stems from a long-running fight over taxi routes between two of the city's minibus taxi associations, CATA and CODETA, that has flared again this week despite earlier peace agreements. On Wednesday morning, two people were injured in a shooting at a taxi rank in Delft, a suburb just north of the airport. On Thursday morning, two taxi drivers were wounded in a shooting at a traffic light on the R300 near Samora Machel, and the highway was briefly closed while police worked the scene before reopening. A shooting last week reportedly left five people dead, and on Wednesday some high school students sitting their final exams were moved to other exam centers because of the unrest.
Minibus taxis are how most Cape Town commuters get around, so when the industry is in turmoil, the effects spread fast. Police and city law enforcement have stepped up patrols at taxi ranks and transport hubs. A fake notice claiming a full taxi shutdown also circulated on Thursday, and the national taxi council, SANTACO, said services were still running. In Cape Town this week, rumors have moved faster than the N2 at rush hour.
Is the Airport Affected?
Yes, and not just on the roads. On Friday, Cape Town International said the unrest had affected staffing at the airport itself, leaving long lines at security, especially for domestic flights. By 1 p.m., 60 flights had been delayed, 44 of them domestic departures, by about an hour on average, though none had been canceled. The airport has brought in staff from other airports and freed up parking stands for arriving planes to keep things moving, and travelers are being urged to arrive four hours before international flights and three hours before domestic ones until further notice.
The roads are still part of the problem. Delft and Gugulethu, two of the areas named in this week’s incidents, border the airport. The N2, the main highway between the airport and central Cape Town, runs past Gugulethu, and the R300, the scene of Thursday’s shooting, links the airport area to the northern suburbs. A sudden police closure on either road can add a lot of time to a trip that normally takes 20 to 30 minutes.
Getting To and From the Airport
If you're flying out of Cape Town in the next few days, leave earlier than you normally would and check traffic before you go. A pre-booked transfer or a ride-hailing app like Uber or Bolt keeps you on the main highways and lets the driver reroute around any closures. The city's MyCiTi airport bus, which runs between the airport and the Civic Centre in the city, is another option, though it's worth checking it's running on schedule before relying on it. If you're renting a car, stick to the N2 and other main roads, and follow official traffic updates rather than messages forwarded on WhatsApp, since this week has already produced at least one fake shutdown notice. If the family group chat says the whole city is closed, check before you cancel your flight.
Arriving travelers can use the same options from the arrivals hall. Most visitors heading to the City Bowl, the V&A Waterfront or the Atlantic Seaboard will use the N2 the whole way and won't pass through the affected taxi ranks. Check your flight status with your airline or the ACSA app, which runs South Africa's main airports, if a delay on the road might make you late.
What Happens Next
The Western Cape government has warned both associations of "decisive action" and is pursuing an urgent court application to settle disputed routes. A meeting with SANTACO and CODETA went ahead on Thursday, but CATA reportedly didn't attend, and a follow-up with the leadership of both associations is planned for Monday, Nov. 2. Until then, flare-ups can happen with little warning, so it's worth checking the news and traffic the morning you travel. With Cape Town's busy summer season starting, the airport will want this settled quickly too.
