FAQ
Questions about booking intercity travel in Namibia.
Everything about finding a seat, publishing a trip, or putting a fleet on Msafiri, the booking layer for Namibia's long distance transport.
- What is Msafiri?
- Msafiri is a booking app for long distance travel in Namibia. It replaces the WhatsApp messages and phone calls passengers, drivers and transport companies used to book intercity trips and parcels with a single platform: search live departures, book a seat or a parcel, and get a ticket the driver scans at boarding.
- How do I book a long distance trip in Namibia with Msafiri?
- Open the Msafiri app, set where you're going, and pick from the live departures that match, comparing price, time and seats left. Confirm your seat or parcel, pay in the app, and you get a ticket the driver scans when you board. No calling around or waiting at the rank to hear if a car is filling up.
- Which towns and routes does Msafiri cover?
- Msafiri isn't limited to a handful of cities. If two towns in Namibia are connected by road and a driver already runs that route, it belongs on Msafiri. Active corridors already include Windhoek, Okahandja, Otjiwarongo, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Ondangwa, Oshakati, Rundu, Katima Mulilo and Keetmanshoop, alongside many smaller routes.
- Can I send a parcel between towns instead of booking a seat?
- Yes. You can send a parcel with a driver already travelling your route, the same way you'd book a seat: search the route, describe the parcel, pay in the app, and the driver carries it to be collected at the other end. No more sending cash with a stranger for a parcel that might not arrive.
- Is Msafiri available on WhatsApp, or do I need to download the app?
- Msafiri is built to replace WhatsApp and phone-call booking, so the app is where searching, booking and paying happen. Transport companies also get a booking link passengers can open without downloading anything, and their own dashboard still handles counter and phone sales alongside the app.
- How much does it cost to book a trip on Msafiri?
- Fares are set by the driver or transport company running the trip, not by Msafiri, and the price is shown before you confirm a booking. There's no extra fee for using the app to book instead of calling or messaging.
- Are Msafiri drivers verified and is it safe to book with them?
- Before a driver can accept bookings on Msafiri, they submit a driving licence and vehicle details that we review. Transport companies list their vehicles and drivers through the Msafiri dashboard after submitting their permit, roadworthiness certificate and passenger insurance. These checks are a real safeguard, though they don't replace your own judgement about a particular trip.
- How do drivers publish a trip on Msafiri?
- A driver sets their route, times and price in the app, and the trip goes live instantly for passengers searching that corridor. Booking requests come to the driver directly, they get paid before the trip starts, and they can message passengers through the app's built-in chat.
- How do transport companies put their fleet on Msafiri?
- A transport company signs up, submits its permit, roadworthiness certificate and passenger insurance, then adds its buses with their own seat layouts and draws its routes and timetable. Every seat sold online, at the counter, or by a clerk entering a WhatsApp request writes to the same seat map, so no seat is sold twice.
- What payment methods does Msafiri support?
- Passengers can pay in cash at the counter or on the bus, by instant bank transfer confirmed within seconds, by debit or credit card, including from outside Namibia, or reserve a seat and pay at the office within a couple of hours using a reference number.
- Is Msafiri only for buses, or does it cover minibuses and independent drivers too?
- Both. Independent drivers running their own routes and larger transport companies running scheduled bus timetables both list trips on Msafiri, all searchable from the same passenger app.
Running a fleet?
Bring your buses, schedules, and ticket sales onto Msafiri in under seven days.
Travelling or driving?
Download the Msafiri app on Google Play to book seats, ship parcels, or claim rides.