How to Hitchhike in Africa | Pancakes and Postcards

As a Peace Corps Volunteer/broke foreign traveler in Africa, your life will benefit incredibly if you master the art of hitchhiking. No matter what, nothing is certain, and you NEED to be safe and trust your instincts. But a few simple tips will get you far.

First, familiarize yourself with the hand signals. The most important signal that potential hitchers need to know: “I need a ride!”

NO.

The thumbs-up does not work over here. It just means “Hey, what uppppp? You good? Yeah me too. Tchau.” Instead, hold out your hand towards the road, and wave it up and down:

hold hand out, wave up and down by flexing at the wrist.

Now, the driver will respond. If they are a jerk, they just drive right by, or maybe they slow down and stare at you, and then decide against picking you up and speed right up again. A flash of the headlights acknowledges your request/your plight. Otherwise, you might see one of these hand signals:

The point down. May bob up and down (like you were tapping an imaginary table) for emphasis.

The “point down” means that the driver is staying in town, or not going very far. As most hitchhikers are trying to go the distance, they are letting you know that this will not be possible.

Now draw circles in the air with the extended finger. Just like that. Good.

The “finger circle” means the driver is turning around. It could be in 30 seconds or in 30 miles, but regardless, they will be turning around and they will NOT be picking you up.

No space for you. Wah wah.

The “fist/hand slap” (making a fist with one hand and slapping it into the other open palm is not offensive as it seems it could be. It means full up, aka no room for you, sorry.

Assessing rides: this needs to be done with some seriousness. You can be picky at first and once it gets into a high-pressure situation you can loosen your standards.

Big rig example. "Live life with gas." Admit it, the 5-year-old in you/23-year-old in me giggles.

TRUCKS are often going long distances and often like some company on their journeys. Pros: they will often pick you up. You might get a sweet seat in the cab on one of the beds where you can hang out and relax (don´t think about the sanitation aspects). Cons: wherever you are going, you will be going there SLOWLY. And they might expect you to pay. Or you might end up in the back of a semi holding on for dear life. Also, those beds are nasty. And, they might expect you to get in on the nastiness, if you know what I mean. Kidding! But seriously.

There´s something fun about watching the road in the wrong direction.

OPEN BACKS (pickups) can be a fun ride or a terrifying one. Pros: often will pick you up, as it isn´t much of an inconvenience for them having you chill in the truck bed. Can be a lovely “I feel so aliiiiiive!” moment as you soak up the sun while the wind rushes through your hair as you watch the world pass by around you. Cons: there might be other people back there… a bunch of other people. Or chickens. Or goats. Or other scary things. There is also the weather factor (sunburn and/or soaking wet from rain). And holding on for dear life over bumpy roads trying your best not to fly out.
PASSENGER CARS: Often the creme de la creme, getting a ride with someone in an actual real car can be pretty awesome. Pros: Most likely will be riding in comfort. You might even get a soda or a snack out of it. And music. And maybe AC. And conversation (can also be a Con). And SEATBELTS. Cons: might be awkward. Might want you to pay. And they are by far the least likely to pick you up.

WHERE TO WAIT: trying to hitch a ride in town in order to head out of town is often fruitless. The best way is to walk to the outskirts of town (in the direction that you are hoping to travel, of course) where most of the cars that will be passing you are heading far outside of the town. Bonus points for looking clean and put together, and/or completely desperate. If you are a Peace Corps Volunteer, the second should not be too hard.

BE PREPARED: Most people travel early! To have the best luck (and probably the most comfort in traveling), you should too. Always have a backup plan! Know when and where the public transportation goes, and have a cutoff time (i.e., if we don´t get a ride in 4 hours, we will still have an opportunity to get on a minibus, etc.). Always have water, toilet paper, and a book. And snacks. If you are in a country where a different language is spoken, know the word for “ride.” Boleia will get you far in Mozambique… hopefully!

BE SMART: The phrases “Listen to your gut” and “If you don´t feel comfortable with a certain situation, get out of it” come to mind. Sure, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to choose between sleeping on the side of the road in a ditch or getting in a car with someone who looks creepy but is going to your destination, the lines get a little blurred. But don´t be an idiot. I am always smart when I hitchhike. I solemnly swear that I have never bounced around in the back of a pickup truck driving 150 km per hour down a completely potholed road and arrived at a destination in 1 hour and 45 minutes that should have taken 4-plus hours; nor have I ever scrambled my way up into a huge semi-truck where I was perched on a pile of metal tubing hanging on for my life on a rainy inter-provincial journey. These things absolutely never happened.

HAVE FUN: You are hitchhiking. Chances are, you´re not in America. You´re seeing a new place. And hopefully traveling for free, maybe making some new friends along the way. And when all else fails, entertain yourselves by taking dorky pictures so you can look back and wonder, “WTH was I thinking?!?!”

Happy hitching!