Johannesburg Airport Car Rentals

Renting A Car In South Africa

For years, South Africa has been one of the world’s top tourist destinations and it continues to be in high demand as a vacation spot because of its vibrant culture, first-class entertainment, excellent and diverse dining and drinking venues, warm weather, historical sites and more. There’s plenty to explore in this country, and one of the best ways to get around is by car.

Renting a car for you and you travel companions will give you the most possible independence when traveling around South Africa, because you’ll be in total control of when you drive and where you go. You won’t have to rely on having to use potentially crowded public transportation that only operates during certain times, meaning you can explore at your leisure.

There are several international rental car companies that operate in South Africa, including Hertz and Avis along with domestic providers such as Rentacheapie and a Sixt affiliate. The exact cost of the rental will depend on the type of vehicle that you want and the amount of time that you want to drive it. The cost of a car typically increases with its size, for example a two-door vehicle will likely be much cheaper to rent compared to a four-door or bigger car.

Many people who have visited South Africa recommend renting a 4×4 car if you are planning on exploring the countryside, which has gorgeous views but many uneven and rocky roads. You should also be capable of, and comfortable with, driving in such terrains if this is your plan.

Costs of operating a car in the country are fairly low, with the average fuel price being roughly $15 South African Rand (equivalent to about $4.15 per gallon or $1.10 per liter of fuel). This makes it very affordable to travel around South Africa, whether in big cities or the countryside.

In order to book and use a rental car, you will need to provide a credit card, your passport, your driving license issued by your home country, and an international drivers permit (IDP). It’s required that you purchase the IDP in the country where you live before your vacation. Anyone who does not have a driver’s license issued by the country where they live cannot rent a car.

When you are eventually taken to your rental car, you should ask an employee to show you around the vehicle and to point out any paint scratches, dents or other damage. It’s important that these features of the vehicle be identified before you begin your rental, otherwise when you return the car at the end of your vacation you might end up being charged for that damage.

If you have an ambitious driving plan that will cover very long distances, you must check with the rental car company that they offer unlimited and unrestricted mileage for your vehicle. Some companies impose restricted mileage on their vehicles, which means that if you end up adding more mileage to the car above the company’s set limit you will pay an additional fee for every kilometer you travel over that limit, and this can end up being very expensive in some cases.

You should also consider getting rental car insurance, which would cover any costs that you might incur in the unfortunate event that you get into an accident during your vacation and the vehicle is damaged. Some credit card companies include this so-called collision damage waiver insurance, so you should check with your credit card provider to see if this is already covered. If not, you can buy insurance direct from a rental company but you may pay higher fees for it.

Finally, rental car companies will likely place a hold on your card for the duration of the rental, anywhere from the equivalent of a few hundred dollars to more than $1,000.