Kigali City gets a new transport payment card

The smart card dubbed SafariBus has for months been piloted in Musanze District and is now rolling out across Kigali, offering commuters a faster, cashless way to pay for bus rides across the city's expanding public transport network.

Developed by Centrika, the SafariBus card is designed to work seamlessly with existing bus infrastructure. Commuters can load funds onto the card at authorized agents, kiosks, or through mobile money integrations, and then tap to pay when boarding.

"SafariBus addresses a real need in our public transport system," said a representative from the Kigali Transport Authority. "It reduces boarding times, eliminates cash handling issues, and provides valuable data insights for route optimization."

The rollout in Kigali follows a successful pilot period in Musanze District, where the card was tested across multiple bus routes. During the pilot, adoption rates exceeded expectations, with over 70% of regular commuters switching to the cashless system within the first three months.

Centrika plans to expand the SafariBus system to additional cities across Rwanda and eventually to neighboring East African countries.