Car Rental South Africa
Please note! They drive on the left in South Africa! It might be advisable to bring a TomTom or Garmin and purchase a map of South Africa in advance. Alternatively, you can rent one from the car rental company at Johannesburg airport. Keep in mind that if you wish to travel to Mozambique or Swaziland , you must inform the rental company in advance when renting the car. There are associated costs.
Car rental tips
Avoid time-consuming hassle and frustration and ensure your car rental is arranged before arrival in South Africa.
Go for the full-cover option; we advise against choosing the standard cover. With standard cover, you have to pay a deductible, whereas if you are insured with full cover, you do not bear a deductible.
At the car rental desk, showing your Dutch driving license is sufficient to rent a car. It can be useful to purchase an International Driving Permit, but it is not necessary. For Moz., however, it is required due to the language.
A credit card is required for the deposit reserved by the rental company and any additional costs, such as administration fees, fuel topped up after drop-off, an optional child seat, GPS, etc.
A 4x4 is really not strictly necessary. The roads in wildlife parks like Kruger Park are paved, and you are not allowed to go off-road. Do you want a 4x4 experience? Then book a safari with 'our' game rangers.
GPS is very handy. The road network in South Africa is particularly clear, yet a GPS is useful. Getting lost in a city is no fun. You can look for directions on your mobile, but do watch out for roaming costs.
Driving your rental car outside South Africa? Many rental companies charge an extra fee for this. You will then receive a so-called Letter of Authority, which allows you to drive in countries such as Moz, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho, and Namibia as well.
Car rental companies
You can also rent a car with only the mandatory basic insurance and insure the comprehensive coverage and deductible (rental car insurance) with, for example, Allianz, Europeesche, or Insurance4carhire. It is worth checking whether this offers you an advantage.
View the map of South Africa here.