South Africa car hire

Whether you’ve flown into Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, it’s easiest to hire a car straight from the airport.

Well-known car hire companies such as Hertz, Avis, Europcar and Budget provide rentals from all these airports, with local companies also available. Booking in advance using TravelSupermarket can yield the cheapest prices.

South Africa is an amazing country to drive through. From sprawling vineyards, enormous valleys, imposing mountains to stunning coast roads, it’s a diverse destination filled with exciting things to see and do.

The Garden Route – one of South Africa’s most popular road trip options – is a 300km expanse of remarkable natural beauty that stretches between Mossel Bay in the Western Cape and the mouth of Storms River in the Eastern Cape. Glorious spots along the way include picture-perfect Knysna, and Plettenberg Bay, one of the best places in the country for bird watching.

For wine connoisseurs visiting Cape Town, it’s essential to make a trip to the nearby Cape Winelands. Stellenbosch is a historic town and home to Boschendal, a 300-year old winery which is noted for its award-winning white wines – if you’re the designated driver, however, you can skip the wine and enjoy local olives, cheese and chocolate instead.

Another spot near Cape Town which is well worth visiting is the Aquila Private Game Reserve. Here you can go on traditional game drives or experience safaris on horseback, before checking into the spa for an African wood massage.

Fifty kilometres north-west of Johannesburg you’ll find ‘The Cradle of Humankind’, a paleoanthropological site where ‘Mrs Ples’ – an australopithecus africanus skull said to be two million years old – was unearthed. The nearby Sterkfontein cave system is another highlight, and guided tours are available for both attractions.

If your destination is the vast Kruger National Park, the best time to visit is between May and September when wildlife is easier to spot.

1. You might hear South Africans speaking about robots – it's what they call traffic lights.

2. A distinctly South African phenomenon is the ‘car guard’, a self-employed person who will offer to watch your car for a small fee. You should carry small change for this, but bear in mind that the system is completely unregulated, so use your discretion.

3. Be very wary of picking up strangers or stopping to help motorists who might look distressed, as they could be hijackers. You should also look out for obstacles placed in the road, as these could have been placed there by thieves who aim to rob you when leave your car to move the item. Your car hire company will tell you what to do in the event of a breakdown.