Getting Around Cape Town: Tranport Guide

By Road
Cape Town has better public transport than most South African cities but remember that taking public transport after dark isn't recommended. If you simply have to, take the usual precautions - travelling in a group (especially women) and avoiding third-class carriages on trains.

There is a decent bus network around the central suburbs there are several services to Waterfront, Sea Point, Kloof Nek (for the Lower Cable Station) and Camps Bay. There is also a regular but infrequent service to Kirstenbosch, Hout Bay and World of Birds. Transport along the Atlantic coast is generally not so good, with the exception of the inner-city suburbs until Sea Point, which are served by frequent buses.
Cape Town taxis include metered cars, minibus or Rikkis (three-wheel vehicles). Make sure you take metered taxis at night.

By Train
Cape Town's train service is quite efficient and runs through the southern suburbs, from the city all the way to Simon's Town. Trains run over the ground and there are no signposts on the streets, so you'll have to look at a map or ask around to find the stations. Tickets must be bought in advance at the station. A regular train service cuts through the southern suburbs to Muizenberg and from there down the False Bay seaboard to Simon's Town. Rikkis (786 2136) meet every Simon's Town train between 6.40am and 6.20pm. Trains leave every ten minutes at peak times (Mon–Fri 5.30–8am & 3.30–6pm) for the southern suburbs as far as Retreat, and every twenty minutes as far as Fish Hoek. The other three lines run from Cape Town to Strand (through the Cape Flats) and to the outlying towns of Stellenbosch and Wellington. Because they run through the Flats, some sections of these are not as safe as the Simon's Town train.