The Congolese ‘Taxi Girl’ Taking on the City of Pointe-Noire

'Taxi Girl' is a Boss Move During the Pandemic

Dave Tendresse is a twenty-seven-year-old lady communication officer by profession at a local structure. That is, when she is not tackling the roads of Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo by way of her taxi on-demand service Taxi Girl — which she set up in 2020 to round out her income.

Her ambitious endeavour — although now lucrative, was not easy to get up and running.

"I admit that at the beginning, there was some resistance - especially on the part of the men. And most of the time they refused to get in my car.... I faced a lot of prejudice, but afterwards, my clients, in general, are fine.... "

Prejudice in Business

In spite of the perceived-sexist judgment she faces, her passion for the work seals her solid will to thrive forward and break down barriers.

Tendresse recalls the values her father imbibed in her psyche growing up as a little girl

"My father taught me a simple rule; learn to make money no matter what. There is no such thing as a man's job, there is no such thing as a woman's job, there are just jobs that we love.

Success Despite it All

A job she enjoys and clientele she has come to cherish — such as Liliane Youssouf who is now one of several loyal Taxi Girl customers.

The young lady shares her mindset, "I'm more comfortable, especially as it's a woman...I found an alternative and I clung to it because I find it quite reassuring.

Dave Tendresse boasts around 50 steadfast clients who no longer hesitate to use the services of Taxi Girl in the city of Pointe-Noire.