Renting a car in Bamako can be a tricky process for many people, because it is not as straightforward as it is in many other countries. There is no Enterprise, or Avis, or Kayak.com where you can just go and select the features and have a car ready. You have to really know the market, and that is a challenge.
There are a few companies that have online presence and are semi-professional, but because they are so few, they sometimes over-charge for their services and vehicle. At Faso Logistics we are trying to make the process of renting a vehicle in Bamako more transparent to all.
First off, we pride ourselves on having quality cars. We usually have Toyota on stock, as these are the most reliable car brands in Africa, and specifically in a country like Mali. The cars are robust and many of the mechanics in the country are comfortable working with these cars. Second, we try to pride ourselves on good and straightforward communications, to make the rental process quick, clear and easy.
The car above is a typical vehicle that we have a Faso Logistics. It is a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and these are the ideal cars for the roads of Mali in general. These types of cars usually range from 55.000 FCFA to 70.000 FCFA per day, depending on the year of the vehicle and whether you are renting with or without a driver. These are really the prices in Mali.
Smaller cars, like the Toyota Corolla above, generally range from 20.000 FCFA to 35.000 FCFA per day, depending as well on whether you take a driver or not. We will make a separate post on the price of rental cars in Mali and how to know if they are accurate and you are getting what you are paying for.
We typically prefer to rent a car with a driver, as it ensures the safety of the car and passenger as well. The roads in Mali are not very good, and neither is the circulation. Many people that rent the car can be involved in accidents or damage the cars on the bad roads. We like to avoid this by providing a qualified driver with the vehicles, at a very affordable rate. Contrary to what many people think, a driver is very cheap and will only cost about 5.000 fcfa per day, which is less than 10 dollars. It also protects the renter when it comes to insurance and liability in case of an accident or damage to the vehicle.
All cars come with insurance, but typically in Mali, if you rent a car and something happens to it, you will be fully responsible for the damage done. However, if you choose to have a driver, the company renting you the vehicle will be responsible for any damage and you will not have to worry about that. That is why we always recommend people to take a driver when renting a car.
We hope this helps and gives you some insight on renting a car in Mali. Faso Logistics has been operating in this space since 2018 and we have worked with various NGOs, foreign embassies, MINUSMA and private companies in Mali that leased cars from us, for long term and short term. We would happy to continue working with anyone interested, and you can reach us at contact@fasologistics.com.
Take care!
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