One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Cape Town, aside from the stunning scenery and so-laid-back-it’s-horizontal lifestyle, is the fact that everyone is so car dependent. Everyone drives everywhere, and as a result Capetonians are a tad lazy. I’ve spent many a car journey sitting patiently in the passenger seat as we drive 8 minutes to our destination, spend 10 minutes scouring the streets for parking, eventually find a spot and then walk another 10 minutes to get to the place.  Every fibre of my being wants to point out that if we’d walked in the first place it would have taken us 20 minutes door to door, but I know this to be futile.

That said, it’s easy for me to criticise, coming from a city like London, where having a car is impossible unless you’re minted and public transport is always twice as fast as driving.  The reality is that Cape Town is designed to be driven, and it makes life a hell of a lot easier.

Most of us are no stranger to uber-ing, particulary after a few too many, or when the parking challenge is just too big. And while being driven around everywhere might seem a bit opulent, it could actually be saving you money.  The folks at Uber have come up with a nifty expenses calculator to show just how much you spend on your automobile vs. the comparative cost of taking a cab everywhere. Check it out HERE, plus details of how to save R250 this July. 

I won’t lie, I dream of cruising those winding seafront roads in a sexy convertible. But, given that the average car seems to be ten times more expensive than they are back home, for the time being I’ll be the chick with her own private driver.  Ditch your keys and join me!