So far, she has not encountered any problems from passengers or her male colleagues. In fact, passengers have been giving her the thumbs-up. She says some of them have confided that they feel comfortable to be driven by a woman. No passenger has tried to play tricks with her by refusing to pay.

Tamokate seems to be at ease in her new job. She says her male colleagues support her and they have a cordial relationship. "I don't have any problems with my male colleagues. They treat me as their equal."

Taxi drivers are notorious for reckless driving but Tamokate seems to be an exception. She says she has never been a reckless driver since she acquired her licence in 2001. She has never been fined for a traffic offence. "I have never committed any traffic offence like going through a red robot or over speeding," she says confidently. She intends to keep her record clean even as a taxi driver. She is able to attend to minor repairs of her taxi without seeking help. She inspects the car every morning before heading for the rank. The Nkange-born Tamokate resides at Gaborone Phase II with two of her children and seven others from her late sister. "I am a mother and father to all these children," she says emphatically. Her first-born son has just enrolled with the University of Botswana (UB).

Tamokate's day starts at 4.30am when she prepares food for her vendor's shop at the bus rank. She does taxi business from Monday to Saturday while Sunday is reserved for church.

But life has not always been a bed of roses for this mother of three - who started work as a maid for a white couple who ran a restaurant business. This was an experience that she will never forget because besides their domestic chores, they cooked food for the restaurant. She recalls that the employers mistreated and insulted the staff who were expected to work overtime without pay. She quit the job after her mistress assaulted her for tearing her clothes. She says the clothes tore-off because the 'madam' soaked them in a bleach over-night. Although the 'madam' later apologised, Tamokate told herself that enough is enough. She vowed that she would never work for anybody again after she was paid her terminal benefits at the Department of Labour. She started by selling fat cakes and later bought a caravan to sell full meals. One day her brother gave her P500 and she went to buy clothes in Johannesburg. But the clothing business did not go well as people who bought on credit did not pay.

Tamokate then concentrated on her catering business and saved money. She raised P10,000 and bought a second hand car from South Africa. She used the car as a taxi and employed a driver but she was frustrated because it was not making money. This forced Tamokate to go for a driving test but she failed on her first attempt. However, being a determined woman, she did not give up until she acquired a licence. Ultimately she went for Passenger Service Vehicle (PSV) licence, which she acquired last month.

After acquiring the PSV, Tamokate felt that she should run her own cab. "If you are operating your own taxi, you are able to look after your car. There is no pressure when you are driving your own cab. Things are better now than when I had employed people to drive my taxi."

Tamokate is calling on other women to join her at the taxi rank. She expressed concern that cars are battered by drivers. Like every taxi operator, Tamokate is feeling the pinch from the escalating fuel prices. She says when she started last month, she used to spend P50 on fuel in a day but now the fuel bill has gone up to P80. Even P80, she says, is still not sufficient. She calls on the government to do something about the rising fuel prices vis-à-vis public fares.

She says the authorities should consider the distance covered to determine taxi fares. At the moment, she says the fare is just uniform and does not take into consideration the distance. She says taxis do not spend on the fuel alone but there are spares to be bought.