Car Hire in South Africa

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Pick-up location

Return car in same location

Pick-up date

Drop-off date

Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65

700+ Trusted Suppliers:

Cheapest Car Hire Rates

Margate Airport

Economy

Volkswagen Polo or comparable

5
2
5
A/C
Man.

per day

Tambo International Airport

Compact

Suzuki Ciaz or comparable

5
2
4
A/C
Man.

per day

Johannesburg Constantia Kloof

Economy Elite

Volkswagen Polo or comparable

4
1
5
A/C
Man.

per day

Travel Information

Languages

IsiZulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English

Currency

ZAR

Drive on

Left-hand side

Dialing code

+27

Average car hire price

£21 per day

Average car hire length

10 days

Speed limit within city centre

60 km/h or 37 mph

Speed limit out of city centre

100 - 120 km/h or 62 - 75 mph

Acceptable limit of BAC

0.05%

Score

9.3 / 10

Average petrol price

£0.94 per litre or £3.58 per gallon

Lowest petrol price

£0.81 per litre or £3.07 per gallon

Highest petrol price

£1.07 per litre or £4.04 per gallon

Why hire a car in South Africa?

From famous cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg to nature areas and an extensive coastline, South Africa really seems to have everything. The large distances can sometimes feel overwhelming, but the road network is generally in good shape and even if you choose to stick to just one region of the country, you’ll most likely end up being surprised by the incredible diversity that you’ll find.

If you want to know more about hiring a car in South Africa, don't miss our complete guide.

One-way Car Hire in South Africa

Here are the most popular one-way car hire options for pickup in South Africa and drop off in another country:

From South Africa to Namibia - 92 offers from £31.63 per day
From South Africa to Lesotho - 10 offers from £18.98 per day
From South Africa to Botswana - 35 offers from £22.07 per day
From South Africa to Swaziland - 10 offers from £18.98 per day

Top ways to enter South Africa

Cape Town Airport: The fifth-busiest in Africa, this airport serves not only Cape Town, but also the wider Western Cape Region.
Johannesburg Tambo Airport: South Africa’s busiest airport serves nearly 30 million passengers annually.
Durban King Shaka Airport: Named after a leader of the Zulu nation, Durban serves not only domestic routes, but also flights to and from many other African countries like Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, and Ghana, as well as destinations in Europe and the Middle East.
By land: If your car hire company permits it and if you have the right visa and other documentation, it’s possible to rent a car in a neighboring country and then drive to South Africa. Some large international airports near South Africa are Gaborone Airport in Botswana and Maputo Airport in Mozambique.

Top cities and places to visit

Cape Town: One of the most popular city destinations in Africa, Cape Town is home to the Cape of Good Home, Table Mountain, a large wine region, and an extensive sea coast.
Johannesburg: Huge and hugely impressive, Johannesburg is home to interesting museums and great cuisine from all over Africa. Many great national parks are also nearby.
Durban: The city on the Indian Ocean has many natural landmarks, opportunities for water sports, and the famous Crocodile Creek.
Eastern Cape: This regions is best known for having one half of the beautiful Garden Route (that starts in Western Cape), as well as its surfing towns and villages, but the Addo Elephant National Park and the Tsitsikamma National Park shouldn’t be overlooked, either.
Limpopo: Something of an unknown quantity up to this day, the South African region bordering Mozambique and Zimbabwe is best known for the beautiful Kruger National Park.

Most popular hire car

The most hired car in South Africa are the VW Polo. The Toyota Corolla and the Chevrolet Spark are also popular choices.

Most popular types of hire car

The most popular car types in South Africa are economy, mini, and compact.

Top driving routes

Cape Town - Port Elizabeth (282 km / 175 mi) It’s a long road between the capitals of Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, but many travelers still choose to do it because of the many nature reserves, coastal areas, and the beautiful Garden Route that are on the way.
Johannesburg - Durban (568 km / 353 mi) The two great cities of Eastern South Africa are about six hours apart. Many travelers also choose to visit Lesotho that is on the way, but if you’d like to do the same, first make sure that your rental car provider permits it as you’d be entering another country.
Johannesburg - Nelspruit (341 km / 212 mi) Cozy Mbombela, still often referred to by its former name, Nelspruit, is about four hours drive east of Johannesburg.

Car hire prices

Station wagons - starting at £50 per day
Large cars - starting at £14 per day
Medium cars - starting at £13 per day
People Carriers - starting at £23 per day
Premium cars - starting at £40 per day
Small cars - starting at £8 per day
SUVs - starting at £24 per day

How can I save money on my hire car?

You can do a number of things to get a good car hire deal in South Africa:

Compare rates of different car hire companies
Book your car well in advance
Plan your route before you go
Know your fuel and mileage requirements
Visit on the month when the rental prices are the cheapest. According to our data, visiting South Africa is the cheapest in May when hiring a car is about 29% cheaper than the yearly average and about 56% cheaper than hiring a car in November.

This information was written, fact-checked, and/or translated by our content creators.

Learn more about our Editorial Policy.

The 9 most popular cities in South Africa

Top 10 Most Popular Locations in South Africa

In which month is car hire in South Africa the most affordable?

Prices for hiring a car in South Africa fluctuate depending on the time of year. This table and graph can help you find the best bargain.

Average price for hiring a car per day in South Africa

£24.91

January

£29.44

February

£28.90

March

£28.78

April

£30.69

May

£28.65

June

£32.33

July

£30.25

August

£29.41

September

£28.82

October

£27.64

November

£29.29

December

The best month to hire a car in South Africa is January — when the average price for a hire is £24.91 per day. This is 14% less than the yearly average and 23% less than hiring a car in July (when the average price is £32.33 per day).

This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for and how much in advance you book. Simply type in your dates in the form at the top of the page in order to find out the exact prices.

How many days do people keep their hire cars, on average, in South Africa?

How long renters typically keep their vehicle sometimes varies depending on the time of year. Travelers tend to keep their rental cars longer in January — an average of 12 days. They tend to keep them for a shorter time in March — an average of 8 days.

Average number of hire days in South Africa

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Which month is most favoured for hiring a car in South Africa?

Given the number of customers searching for a car in South Africa, December is the most popular, while June is the month that sees the lowest demand.

Monthly Car Hire Searches in South Africa Compared to the Yearly Average

159%

January

145%

February

128%

March

80%

April

61%

May

54%

June

63%

July

81%

August

85%

September

89%

October

93%

November

163%

December

Car hire information

Car hire locations	145
Airport locations	22
Popular suppliers	First Car Rental, Hertz, Firefly, Carwiz, GreenMotion
Popular car categories	Small cars, SUVs, Medium cars, People Carriers
Lowest price	£8 per day
Cheapest supplier	SIXT

Most popular car models of suppliers

Hire Agency	Model	Doors	Luggage	Type
First Car Rental	Suzuki Celerio	5	1	Small cars
Hertz	Suzuki Swift	4	2	Small cars
First Car Rental	Proton X50	4	2	SUVs
Firefly	Toyota Agya	5	1	Small cars
Hertz	Volkswagen Polo	5	1	Small cars
First Car Rental	Nissan Almera	5	2	Medium cars
Europcar	Volkswagen Polo	5	2	Small cars
Hertz	Volkswagen T-Cross	5	2	Medium cars
Carwiz	Renault Kwid	5	1	Small cars
Firefly	Toyota Corolla Quest	4	2	Medium cars

Our customers' reviews

Because we want to make sure each review listed here is left by a real customer, we don’t have the option to post a review here. Instead, we ask each and every customer to leave a review after they return their rental car. This way, you know that all reviews are authentic.

United Kingdom

Toyota Corolla

06/11/2024

Stranded on Table mountain. Western cape beautiful. Whales awesome

South Africa

Hyundai Grand i10

17/10/2024

It was a bitter sweet experience having travelled up to attend a Memorial service However I enjoyed being together with family, whom I haven't seen in years and will probably never see again.

United Kingdom

Toyota Agya

05/10/2024

Went to Sabi Sands for a 4-day safari which was pretty cool

United Kingdom

Toyota Corolla

03/09/2024

good nature spots and experience.

United Kingdom

Nissan Almera

06/08/2024

Family and visiting places of interest

United Kingdom

Toyota Hilux

28/05/2024

Great nature viewing from Ford Ranger. Would definitely hire again

Photo 2 by Janette E. about hiring a Toyota Hilux in South Africa (28/05/2024)

Photo 3 by Janette E. about hiring a Toyota Hilux in South Africa (28/05/2024)

Photo 4 by Janette E. about hiring a Toyota Hilux in South Africa (28/05/2024)

United Kingdom

Volkswagen Polo

16/03/2024

Family holiday. Family wedding Blessing.

United Kingdom

Toyota Quest

08/02/2024

We had a fun program of things to do and all was done without any problems. We did have a problem with the sat nav we ordered. It was hard to enter some of the letters one the right hand side of unit which made it take a long time to set destinations. However once done it worked OK. We did report this when we handed back the car.

United Kingdom

Toyota Fortuner

03/02/2024

Visiting family.

Greece

Suzuki Celerio

04/01/2024

Hluhluwe nature reserve is definitely worth a visit.

United Kingdom

Proton X50

27/05/2023

We had the car for 9 days to travel to pumba game reserve then along the garden route stopping at Jeffries bay Knysna Hermanus and finally Cape Town. We visited plettenburg and mossel bay and the bloukrans bridge bungee jump ! Too many fabulous things to do and see. Food amazing and drinks, everyone was soooo friendly and happy , even the homeless.

United Kingdom

Nissan Almera

12/05/2023

all went well

United Kingdom

Toyota Agya

24/02/2023

I used the car mainly to get around to see friends and family while I was down and to go on solo sushi missions whilst watching the sunset.

United Kingdom

VW Polo

11/02/2023

Western cape of South Africa

United Kingdom

Ford Ecosport

26/01/2023

Fantastic game parks as usual Friendly reception from all staff Bad pot holes on some main roads which need sorting out asap

United Kingdom

Toyota Fortuner

13/01/2023

2nd time to South Africa, Had an amazing time, great restaurants, scenery and activities

United Kingdom

Nissan Almera

11/01/2023

The beaches in and around Balito, uShaka World,

United Kingdom

Volkswagen Polo

02/01/2023

I travelled long distances and the car performed well, was comfortable and had brilliant fuel economy.

United Kingdom

VW Polo

28/12/2022

Penguins at Boulders Beach are amazing!! Worth a trip to see them.

United Kingdom

Nissan Almera

29/10/2022

Driving along garden route

United Kingdom

Hyundai Venue

29/09/2022

Great restaurants, views, weather in the Cape. Stayed at a fantastic AirBnB just off Bottelary road. Loved it.

United Kingdom

Nissan Almera

20/09/2022

It was not a holiday for me unfortunately, unplanned trip. Family bereavement

United Kingdom

Toyota Avanza

03/09/2022

They were absolutely incredible. Fantastic customer service. Wonderful to deal with. No Ques or fuss on collection and drop off - so efficient. Great price, great car. definitely a returning customer. Best car rental company I have ever dealt with.

United Kingdom

Suzuki Celerio

17/08/2022

The scenic coastal road from Gordon's Bay to Betty's Bay is beautiful, with a visit to the small coastal town of Hermanus is highly recommended. Hermanus is about an hours drive from Cape Town. Though with stopping for photos and a coffee (recommended) it will obviously take longer.

United Kingdom

VW Kombi

15/08/2022

Visited key tourist attractions in the western cape

United Kingdom

Toyota Rav4

02/06/2022

Visited umflozi Howick and Durban

United Kingdom

Audi A4

29/04/2022

Went to Mpumalanga, Durban, Richardsbay and back to Johannesburg. Each town has its own local attractions. Safaris, casinos, beaches etc. SA is beautiful

United Kingdom

Toyota Yaris

14/04/2022

Their vehicles are all in good and clean condition. I did not experience a single hiccup and the service was efficient and warm, especially after a long flight.

United Kingdom

Toyota Yaris

04/04/2022

We had a very pleasant holiday

United Kingdom

Toyota Agya

04/04/2022

Great website & service, would definitely use them again

United Kingdom

Toyota Quantum

09/03/2022

Not now

United Kingdom

BMW 3 series Aut.

08/03/2022

A great experience and improved price. Well done.

United Kingdom

Hyundai i10 Grand

21/01/2022

Cape Town I a beautiful place with lots of places to see and lots of things to do. If you love fish, check out the Strandloper in Langerbaan. Bit of a drive from central town but worth the drive- go in summer

United Kingdom

Toyota Quest

16/01/2022

The car was in good condition and comfortable.

United Kingdom

Hyundai i20

06/03/2021

My car hire was in South Africa, Capetown, for me this is thee most wonderful place, there is so much to do, see and experience in this beautiful country. Hiking, sampling the most exquisite vineyards, gourmet meals alongside the everyday meal, both are to an exceptionally high standard, water adventures along with all of the other sights that the Cape has to offer. I could wax lyrical however that would be too boring for the reader, I’d strongly suggest just come to this country and experience it for yourself.

United Kingdom

Toyota Starlet

21/02/2021

But not for you!

United Kingdom

Hyundai i20

20/01/2021

I visited Sun City in North West and Sudwala caves in Mpumalanga provinces,Mount Amanzi and many other little resorts around Jo,burg I thoroughly enjoyed my stay knowing my car would take me anywhere without hassles