Bobbi Beyoncé

Do you remember that 80’s song “Cars” by Gary Numan? You know… “Here in my car, I feel safest of all, I can lock all my doors, it’s the only way to live, in cars.” I can’t seem to get that catchy track out of my head and the reason is because I have just become the proud owner of a new car (pictured below)!

Well “new” is a bit of a stretch… The ’99 Opel Astra is certainly a used car, but it’s new to me. The car belonged to Emily, my friend and fellow YASCer whose footsteps I am following in. While serving in Cape Town she decided that life would be much easier with a car so during her tenure she purchased the pre-owned Astra. Her YASC year now complete, Emily departed for the states and I inherited Bobbi Beyoncé from her at a fair price.

That’s right, Bobbi Beyoncé is the car’s name. When Emily purchased it a year ago, she was homesick for the US. She was overcome by a wave of patriotism and decided to name the Astra Bobby in honor of Robert Kennedy. She asked me if I would keep the name. I am a fan of tradition so I told her yes, however I wanted to change it up a bit. Emily, remembering my love of Beyoncé (from our NY days together when we would dance and sing to her music) suggested Bobbi Beyoncé. And so the Astra has been rechristened!

Last week we registered Bobbi Beyoncé in my name. The process was much simpler than either Emily or I anticipated. We were warmly greeted at the Motor Vehicle Registering Center by friendly staff that instructed us to complete the appropriate forms. After doing so we briefly waited as the car was switched into my name. Within 15 minutes we were done! We were flabbergasted by how nice the staff was and by how little time it took. The DMVs we were familiar with in the states are not known for their cheerfulness nor their speed. Grateful, we left the center in search of a place to get new license plates made.

In South Africa, every time a car is registered in a different person’s name the plates must be changed. The Motor Vehicle Registering Center’s staff directed us down the road to a place that makes plates. This place, located in a pharmacy, was a kiosk that did shoe repairs, cut keys, and made license plates. We were in and out in 10 minutes!

Bobbi Beyoncé was now registered in my name and had new license plates. In that moment I was officially the new owner. Now… all I have to do is learn how to drive the thing!

Don't get me wrong, I know how to drive a car... But as opposed to in the US, in South Africa drivers use the left side of the road. Additionally, the driver’s seat is on the right side of the car. As if that’s not enough to become familiar with, almost all the vehicles here are operated manually with a gearshift. I had never driven a stick shift in the states. But here in South Africa I will learn on Bobbi Beyoncé.


After completing all the paperwork Emily and I found an empty parking lot and she taught me some driving basics. She said I did pretty well. I only stalled the car once which she said was a huge success. I did however make her gasp a few times as I tried to work the clutch and acceleration at the same time. I can tell, this is going to be a work in progress, but I say bring it on! Practice makes perfect!

I am optimistic about learning to drive Bobbi Beyoncé and excited about the freedom that having a car allows me. I won’t be dependent on public transportation any longer (which is only safe during peak hours on weekdays). Additionally, I should be able to get to places quicker. I am very aware of the privilege it is to own a car and I am extremely grateful. I thank all of you who have contributed to my fundraising efforts and thus made the purchase of the Astra possible. Please hold me (and the other drivers) in your prayers as I become accustomed to driving on the left side of the road in the right side of the car while shifting with my left hand!