RENTAL CAR IN SOUTH AFRICA

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Day 2: Car rental in South Africa - Cape Town

Today is the day we will pick up the car rental in South Africa, with which we will travel throughout the country. It's almost 3 in the afternoon when we disembark from the Iberia flight that has brought us to Cape Town in South Africa, already with the nerves to the surface to be ready, now yes, to start South Africa for free.

As we commented in yesterday's post, having had to collect luggage in Johannesburg and having passed customs controls, now in Cape Town, being a domestic flight, we only had to go to the collection area of luggage, avoiding to pass through any security control or passports, something that makes us advance a lot of time and go practically direct to rent the car in South Africa.

Taking this into account, once we have our luggage with us, we take the opportunity to get money at an ATM with the N26 card, although in South Africa, as we will discuss later, you can pay in 99% of cases with card of credit.

Make money in South Africa

After our experience in the trip to South Africa in 25 days, we can say that it is highly recommended to carry a card for your payments, since in addition to thus avoiding carrying a lot of cash, you can apply the best change.
To avoid paying commissions and always having the current change, we recommend using the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.

In that case, as a tip, we recommend that if you are going to use a card, you take out money at the airport, since although there are ATMs in Cape Town, it is usually more insurance Do it at the airport.

With this procedure already done, we go directly to the car rental area in South Africa, which at the Cape Town airport is leaving the terminal and turning right, and after crossing a road, access the parking lot directly duration where all the offices of the different companies of car rental in South Africa.

Car rental companies

In our case, as we always do, we have booked the rental car South Africa through Rentalcars, with the company Europcar and although it may seem incredible, we booked a mid-range tourism, approximately six months in advance and paid 29 euros for eight days of rent.
To this amount we must add 85 euros one-way, as we will leave the car in another office, in this case in Port Elizabeth and 90 euros for all-risk insurance, which we always contract directly with Rentalcars. A total price that we found super adjusted and more considering what happens to us later ...

In this case the procedures of car rental in South Africa They are a little slower than usual, but we get the big surprise when the guy who does all the management tells us that the car they are going to give us, since ours is not available, is a little higher than the that we had booked, taking the big surprise of finding us with a 4 × 4 when we arrived at the parking lot, something that makes us sketch a big smile and start thinking about how well this trip to South Africa is starting.

Tips on the rental car in South Africa

In this section we want to leave you a series of recommendations and advice on the car rental in South Africa, since we understand that this is the best means of transport to move around the country, being practically essential in some areas to move with total freedom of schedules in addition to security.

The first thing to keep in mind is that the international driving license is required to reserve a rental car in South Africa. At the time of the rental through the website you will not be asked, but it is necessary to present it at the collection office and essential if the police ask you to.
You can make an appointment directly at the DGT electronic Headquarters.
Another of the essential things to have a rental car in South Africa is to have a credit card in which they can make the corresponding deposit.
Depending on the days and the company it can be about 600-900 euros that will be returned at the time you return the car.
They do not accept debit card or cash payments and the credit card must always be from the driver.

Rental car in South Africa

The car rental in South Africa can be done with countless companies, although we recommend you to opt for or at least look at Rentalcars, since this website has incredible prices, like the one we have obtained and also, they have a super customer service Professional and fast.
Although it is highly recommended to have full insurance, we know that many car rental companies have very high prices to have this service.
In this case, we always hire it with Rentalcars at a much tighter price, usually about 10 euros a day, with which in case of any setback, they return the amount we have had to pay.
In this trip for example, we have scratched the car in the second leg of the trip and they will take care of all the expenses.
Once you have done the car rental process, it is highly recommended to take pictures of the car, as well as when returning it. Another option is to make a video in which all parts of the car look good to have proof of how you collect and deliver the car.
In addition to the exterior of the car, the interior and the gasoline marker are important, in case you must deliver it full.
Another important point is to check all the papers they give you to sign. Although it is not usual, there are some companies that take advantage of this moment to add services to the car rental, which once signed you will not be able to claim.

More practical information to prepare your trip to South Africa
- 10 essential places to see in South Africa
- 10 essential places to see in Cape Town
- The best tips for traveling to South Africa

Tips on driving a rental car in South Africa

Probably the most important aspect to highlight at this point is that in South Africa you drive on the left. Do not worry, although it may seem very difficult, you will not need more than a few minutes to get used to it, although we recommend you be alert for the first few days.
The moment you have the car, take your time to take a couple of laps around the parking lot and especially to have in your head that in roundabouts, traffic lights and turns, you should look in the opposite direction. As we mentioned before, don't worry, this is something that your mind will get used to very quickly.
In the country, at a general level, you drive very well and traffic and safety regulations in South Africa are respected, although that does not mean you should be careful and pay attention.
In reference to the above, it is not uncommon to find a police control, we were stopped 3 times in 2 days. In case it happens to you, you just have to hand over the international card and wait for them to tell you that you can continue. As long as you have not committed an infraction.
It never happened to us, but we have been told that on many occasions these stops are made looking for a problem with the card to be able to fine you or encourage you to bribe them with some money.
With this in mind, above all, it carries the international driving license.
Always respect speed. Contrary to what can happen in other countries, in South Africa this is very appropriate to the type of road, so it is very easy to maintain it.

South Africa Roads

Keep in mind that in South Africa it is very common to hitchhike, although the really curious thing is that this is done even on the highways and it is not uncommon to see how they show you a ticket for "cheer you up" to stop.
But in addition to hitchhiking, many people use these routes to move from one place to another, so it is important to be careful and maintain distances.
Another curious thing that you will find with the rental car in South Africa is that it is usually advanced regularly, even when there is a continuous line. For that, the car that precedes you, adjusts the maximum to the shoulder and will let you pass. Your response to the advance should be to put the emergency lights for a few seconds so that the car that has let you pass, responds with a burst of long.
East dance of lights It is very common, especially in the southern part of the country.
In some areas of South Africa it is very common to find many trucks, these are also usually very respectful. If you see that at some point you can advance it, join the play of light And put it on, always with caution.
Always carry cash to pay on highway tolls. Although we were able to pay 99.9% by card, in the last toll, on our way to Johannesburg, we were not accepted any card, claiming that only South African cards were used.
Something very important, if you are going to cross into Suatziland, is to bring the necessary car documentation to enter the country. This must be given to you by the rental company at the time of collection and you must request it when you make the reservation.
The prices of this procedure can vary from one company to another and even on many occasions, they depend on the total rental price. We pay about R1200 for this procedure.
Think that without this documentation you will be denied entry to the country with the car.

Hlane in Suatziland

Regarding GPS, it is essential for us, either as an external device or as an application on the online or offline mobile. Although you will see cartels on the road, on many occasions the indications are not entirely clear and having this help is practically essential.
Although it may seem otherwise, in South Africa there is usually not much traffic except for large cities such as Cape Town or Johannesburg.
We had sections where we can say that we did not cross virtually any car for several hours.
While driving your rental car in South Africa, whether by city or highway, you will surely come across white vans with colored stripes. These are the typical vans that act as public transport. They are usually more aggressive with driving and usually park in anywhere.
Although you have to pay attention, do not worry, they are accustomed and will observe you so that there is no problem.

South Africa vans

Gas stations in South Africa

In all gas stations you can pay in cash and by card. Also in most you will find a store where you can buy food, snacks and even in some larger ones they have a cafeteria and ATM (ATM).
It is usual that while you put gasoline, you wonder if you want the glass to be cleaned. It is not something obligatory, but the service is always great to always bring the crystals with maximum visibility for only R10-R20 (the amount is voluntary, but we are what we gave).
Although there are a large number of gas stations on tourist routes, sometimes these are far from each other, so it is worth paying attention to this aspect and not waiting to be in reserve.
Similarly, carrying a bottle of water in the car can help with long journeys.
Although in the posts in which we speak specifically of the Kruger we will expand the information, inside the park, in all the main camps, there is a gas station service, so you should not worry.
The price of gasoline 95 in 2018 has been approximately R16 / liter.

What car do I rent to travel to South Africa?

Understanding that your trip to South Africa will take you safely to one of its parks to make a safari, we want to make it clear at this point that these can be done perfectly in a conventional tourism.
Both the Kruger and Isimangaliso, which were the parks we visited, have paved roads and dirt tracks, which are perfectly enabled, so there is no problem in traveling with tourism.
While it is true that in Hlane, in Suatziland, there are some secondary tracks, in which to take a car a little more powerful It can be much more suitable.
At this point we want to highlight that in Hlane, these secondary roads with very narrow and the shoulders are full of plants with spikes. Be careful, since you can scratch the car completely as it happened to us. This is important to keep in mind to avoid further problems.
Although as we said with a tourism you can do the safaris perfectly, if you do not mind spending a little more, it is advisable to have a rental car in South Africa as high as possible, since this way in the safaris you will have better visibility.
In the same way, a comfortable car is appreciated, since on this trip you will spend many hours in the car, especially in the Kruger.
Another important point is the air conditioning. Essential especially in the Kruger, where temperatures according to what time of year can easily exceed 40 degrees.

Rental car in South Africa with Rentalcars

In our case, the second rental car in South Africa was a Toyota Avanza, with which we toured the second part of the trip that included the points where we would do safaris and we have to say that although it is higher than the Renault Ecosport that we took in the first part of the route, about 7 centimeters, the first was much more comfortable, both inside and the trunk that was much more spacious.

Book your rental car in South Africa with Rentalcars here

Safety to drive in South Africa

Something you are asking us a lot about is the security of renting a car in South Africa. We cannot deny that in this country there is a serious problem with security and sometimes, unfortunately, this insecurity is transferred to tourists who move by rental car.
That is why although it is not necessary to become obsessed, it is advisable to take certain precautions that will make you travel much safer, much quieter and above all, enjoy this incredible country much more.

It is important to always go with the latches closed. Nothing probably happens to you if you have them open, but being cautious will save you a surprise.
Similarly, never leave anything visible. No suitcases, no cameras or backpacks. It is best to carry everything in the trunk.
Always drive on known roads and avoid entering towns that you don't know. In case you get lost or enter a town that you did not have marked on the route, be sure to bring the latches closed.
In many places, when you park, you will see that there is someone, usually identified with a vest, who greets you and tells you that he will watch your car. Although there is no rule that says you should pay, scratch your pocket and leave R10-R15 for the service.

South Africa

With this we do not want to create anxiety or a feeling of extreme insecurity. We are sure that the probability of having a problem for a tourist in South Africa that moves through tourist places is not high, but we know people who have taken some fright and we believe that in this case, taking these simple precautions can be the difference between Enjoy a trip in capital letters or not.

Our car rental in South Africa

As we commented, we have booked through Rentalcars the two cars we have used on this trip. We leave you all the details of the car rental in South Africa:

Route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth (760 kilometers)

Hyundai Accent (medium category tourism)
26 euros rent for 8 days, plus 80 euros for one way and 90 euros for all-risk insurance contracted directly with Rentalcars.
Here, as we mentioned earlier, we were very lucky since they gave us a Renault Ecosport, type 4 × 4, for the same price since they had not available the one we had booked.
The height and comfort of the Renault Ecosport, have made this the car we recommend to make a trip to South Africa, as well as ample, it has a sufficient height to enjoy good visibility on a safari.
Toyota Avanza (family tourism)
379.92 euros rent for 14 days, plus 80 euros for one way, 120 euros for all-risk insurance contracted with Rentalcars and 85 euros for the border cross to Suatziland.
In this case, although the car was the highest in the category, having 7 seats, the trunk just stayed even lowering the seats in the back.
The interior, although spacious, was not as comfortable as the Renault Ecosport.

Total car rental in South Africa with all the extras:
860.92 euros x 22 days of rent = 39.13 euros per day.

Rental car in South Africa

After all the management of car rental in South Africa, we connect our GPS and we are on our way to the Circa Luxury Apartment Hotel, our accommodation in Cape Town the next nights, where we arrive half an hour later, when it is 4:30 p.m., after this first contact with driving in South Africa, which we have to confess, is much easier than we imagined.

In case you do not have a rental car, you can book this route with a transfer from the airport to the city or this other transfer with a luxury vehicle.

We left the car in the private parking of the hotel for R100 per day and after checking in, we went straight up to the room, much larger than we expected, where after taking a quick shower and resting for a while, we decided that The time has come to have our first meeting with Cape Town.

The greatest drought in history and the rapid urbanization of the city, are two of the reasons why Cape Town is the first major city in the world that has faced a possible lack of total water.
That is why we advise you, before traveling, to take a few minutes to read about this topic and above all, once in South Africa, be responsible and avoid excessive water consumption.
If you want more information, you can read this news in El País.

And it is here when, newcomers to the city, we have to confess, we feel somewhat out of place as well as somewhat insecure and it is already almost night, there is no one in the neighborhood and despite being in a central area , we prefer to take only one tour of the area, without venturing much and when it is 8 pm, return to the hotel to rest, recover energy and start the route through Cape Town tomorrow.

Day 3: Cape Town in one day: Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Bo-Kaap or Malay Quarter, Long Street, Green Market and Signal Hill