Cape Town Parking Attendants. Good or Bad?

Call them what you will, parking attendants or car guards, Cape Town is full of unofficial individuals in orange vests all throughout the city and beaches and you will interact with them often during your Cape Town travels. But what do they do? 

At first, the parking attendants situation was really something I couldn’t wrap my head around. Initially I thought “there is no way I am going to pay these bullies to watch my car while I go into a restaurant, or to the beach, or into this local shop”. What I quickly realized is, the parking attendants are far more of an asset than an inconvenience. What they did truly made our traveling easier and more efficient:

• They locate empty parking spaces in busy tourist destinations by waving you down and directing you to the best parking location available
• They help you parallel park your car to prevent you from damaging someone elses (or someone else damaging your) car
• They watch/protect your car while you are away from it

…and they do all of this for a measly 5 Rand or less (the equivalent of 35 cents in US dollars).

Here are our tips and tricks on how to maximize the use of the Cape Town parking attendants, keeping you safe, all while keeping everyone happy:

1. They often look homeless and unnerving, but know they are here to work and make money to provide for their families. While you may think they would be the one to break into your car, they all rely on each other and the integrity and trust of the system to maintain their ability to work.
2. With that being said, leave nothing visible or tempting in your car. Use the trunk, but put stuff in there before you go so no one can watch what you have and where you put it.
3. They don’t expect much – we never tipped in bills, only change. So everytime was 5 rand or less ($0.35 US dollars). And no one ever seemed dissatisfied with that. 
4. But DO tip them. Do not try to be cheap. The one you do not pay may be the one that breaks into your car or allows someone else to. If peace of mind can cost as little as 2 to 5 rand, I’m buying all day.
5. Tip them up front when you park (as opposed to when you are leaving) for obvious reasons above. You do not want them to think you aren’t going to pay them. Tip them again when you are leaving if you want or if they become confrontational. We were often able to walk to our car, hop in, and leave without tipping again – they are often busy helping people find spaces.
6. They are people, all people are different. Some are more aggressive, some are more appreciative, some are more transactional. Just read them and interact accordingly.
7. They have territories and they have shifts. They know which spaces are theirs to assist with and collect on and which are their colleagues. While one person may point you toward a vicinity in which to park, the person that approaches your car as you are parking is your attendant. Subsequently, since they have shifts, the person there when you leave may be different, your “car’s safety” has now been passed onto them.
8. Be considerate of how long your car is going to be parked. Tip more when parking for hikes or beach days since you will be tying up a revenue source (your parking space) for a longer period of time.

All in all, while an inconvenience at times, Cape Town Parking Attendants are a consistent staple in Cape Town. They are there to make money and to make your travel in Cape Town easier. Scary and uncertain at first, they are a great asset to anyone traveling in Cape Town.

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