XPLOSION: Inside South Africa’s Underground Taxi Raves

In 1980s South Africa during Apartheid, racist “influx control” laws made it almost impossible for black taxi drivers to earn a living. They upgraded their sedans to minibuses and worked illegally, providing vital transport for their communities. The end of Apartheid created a new problem, as the underground taxi network was replaced by a cutthroat system where corruption thrived and competition over routes turned brutally violent. Intimidation and targeted killings became commonplace. Deaths in the “Taxi Wars” peaked in the late 90s, but the industry remains highly dangerous. Even now, most assassinations in South Africa are related to taxi violence. And while most drivers are armed with some kind of weapon, most are just men trying to feed their families. For the young and the bored, the taxis sometimes perform a different function, providing a confined space with a dance floor the size of a phone box where they can listen to gqom at deafening volume and take umgwinyo: a synthetic drug, like ecstasy, that they use to summon the spirits of the dead. The events, called Umqhumo (which translates as “explosion”), are held in secret locations where Durban’s humid jungle sprawl meets the Indian Ocean. Taxis line up beside one another in formation, each run by a different team that produces its own music for the night, with a dedicated MC and loyal followers. VICE rode along with Team Orange, hosted by producer Papa J and lead “party guy” Junior Mike. Click here to subscribe to VICE: http://bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE About VICE: The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE. Connect with VICE: Check out our full video catalog: http://bit.ly/VICE-Videos Videos, daily editorial and more: http://vice.com Like VICE on Facebook: http://fb.com/vice Follow VICE on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vice Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/vice Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vice?lang=en The VICE YouTube Network: VICE: https://www.youtube.com/VICE MUNCHIES: https://www.youtube.com/MUNCHIES VICE News: https://www.youtube.com/VICENews VICE TV: https://www.youtube.com/@VICE-TV/featured Noisey: https://www.youtube.com/Noisey Motherboard: https://www.youtube.com/MotherboardTV https://www.youtube.com/@VICESports Waypoint: https://www.youtube.com/WaypointVICE