Car rental South Africa

General information and regulations

In order to be able to drive in South Africa you have to be 18 years old although many car rental companies maintain a minimum of 25 years (age of 23 and 2 years of experience). Traffic travels on the left in South Africa and distances are shown in kilometers.

The speed limits are: on highways 75mph/120kph and 38mph/60kph in urban areas. It is recommended to acquire an International Driver's License because police officers tend to confiscate your license after pulling you over (sometimes for no obvious reason).

As in Europe, it is strictly prohibited to use a cell phone in the car and seatbelts are mandatory. You WILL be fined when you drive without a seatbelt. South Africa has good roads, but a 4WD is recommended. During nighttime you have to pay attention to animals crossing the road, especially antelopes. Heed the signs.

Driving in South Africa

South Africa is a large country and so are the distances between the bigger cities. A journey from Johannesburg to Durban is 566 km and trips can best be divided over a couple of days. There are several possibilities for tours, although this depends on the city of arrival and lodges along the way.

It is a 6-hour drive from Johannesburg to the Kruger Park, an early departure can be good when you decide to make this trip. With Cape Town as your starting point, there are other possibilities to choose from. For instance, one can arrange excursions to Hout Bay, Simon's Bay, False Bay and the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve.

Starting out in Durban opens the door for other parts of South Africa, even the country of Lesotho (which is surrounded by South Africa) can be visited.

Renting a car in South Africa

The airports of Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban have numerous car rental companies to pick from. You can use the services of: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Imperial.

Another option is booking a car through EasyTerra, a website where rates of local car rental companies are compared for your convenience.