When I started planning our South African Safari Honeymoon, I quickly realized that we would save hundreds of dollars if we rented a car instead of booking the airport transfer through our hotel. Plus it would give us the freedom to do our own excursions which would save us even more. I was a bit terrified about driving in Africa, but my deal-savvy self couldn’t resist the savings and my husband felt pretty comfortable being behind the wheel as long as I volunteered to be the navigator. I am so glad we did it. It ended up being way easier than I thought it would be and our trip was elevated because of our independence.
Here are a few tips and tricks we picked up along the way that you should know if you are considering renting a car in Africa.
Tips For Renting The Car
I booked our car through Priceline and ended up renting with Avis. The rental car pick-up and drop off where basically the same as what I have encountered in the United States. I read a few blog posts about them over inspecting the car upon your return to try to charge you for damages but our process was seamless. We did ask them to do a walk around with us and pointed out a few minor damages before we left which I would highly recommend. If you are driving on any roads other than the freeway, you’ll likely be close to bushes and branches that may scratch the sides of your car and if those marks already exist, be sure they are pointed out so you don’t get charged!
You’ll Be Driving On the “Proper” Side of the Road
South Africans keep their drivers on the right side of the car and the passenger seat is on the left. This is the opposite for us Americans so it can be a bit terrifying at first. But we quickly got the hang of it and luckily the roads are very straightforward so just keep your wits about you and you’ll be fine.
For the first hour or so in the car, we didn’t listen to music or talk about anything too heavy, we focused completely on driving and our surroundings. There are beautiful sights to see even on the side of the road so the time flew by quickly for us.
I was corrected by a few British travelers that we met who said it isn’t the “wrong side” but rather the “proper side” of the road. I liked that wording so decided to keep it here.
Watch Out For Critters!
There are tons of animals all over Africa but it’s not just the wildlife you need to be mindful of. Cattle, goats, donkeys and other farm animals feed right on the side of the major roads and are watched over by their shepherds. On the dirt roads, you may even encounter a group of them taking up the entire road. Just drive slowly and wait for the shepherds to move them over for you.
There are also a lot of bugs. We had a huge swarm fly past us and unfortunately many flew directly into our windshield. Be sure your car is full of cleaning fluid for the windshields.
You Can’t Do Self-Service at Gas Stations
When you stop for gas at a petrol station, they’ll over to clean your windows for you and fill up your gas tank (you stay in the car). Be sure to give them a few rand as a tip! Also, be mindful of workers that want to wash your windows multiple times, they’ll want to be tipped multiple times as well even though they are cleaning clean windows.
Bring Cash For Toll Plazas
Most of the Toll Plazas along the major roads take South African Rand only so be prepared with cash. We encountered our first one just outside of the airport so I’d recommend getting cash from the ATM as soon as you land.
Depending on the area, you might have locals trying to sell you goods at the toll plazas. They’ll walk right up next to you even when you are next to the window. They are mostly selling sugar cane or fruit and are easy to ignore. I have no idea what we would have done with a bundle of sugar cane!
Things to Know About Navigation
We were very lucky to have data on our phone so had GPS during our trip. Service was totally fine for us during the whole trip. If you don’t have data on your phone, you can rent a GPS from the car rental place or talk to your carrier about getting a temporary international plan.
If you miss a turn or exit on the freeway, it may be several kilometers before you have the chance to correct it. This only happened to us once when we headed south instead of north when entering the freeway and added about 10 mins to our trip plus an extra few dollars in toll charges to get turned around.
What Are The Roads Like?
Google street view is very prevalent for the main freeways so you can look at your route before you decide to drive. I used this quite a bit to prep for the trip and get a good look at the roads to see if we’d be comfortable.
We mostly drove along the N2 which was a two-lane road. There is a very wide shoulder which many of the slower cars used as an extra lane so people could pass them. You’ll get the hang of that quickly. Just move to the side if you want to go slow and don’t be afraid to pass people that have moved over for you.
The Non-freeways Are Mostly Dirt Roads
Your car will be covered in dust. There are car washes and such along the way but we just let ours be dirty for the trip and were glad to have the windows cleaned at petrol stations.
Lots Of People Are Standing Near The Road
Even on the bare stretches of freeway, lots of locals are standing on the sides of the road. For the most part, they are waiting for a ride or selling something. We saw lots of beautiful wooden carved bowls on stands on the side of the road but never stopped to check them out and found similar ones at the local shops during our excursions.
Be mindful of anyone that is throwing rocks or trying to get you to get out of the car. This never happened to us but we heard about it while we are there. The major freeways often have protests and they will try to get you out of your car and then set it on fire. Again, we never encountered this but heard a lot about it. So just be mindful.
What About For A Long Trip Or Multi-Country Trips?
We only rented our car for 6 days during our trip and used the hotel transportation when in Zimbabwe. But during my research for renting a car, I came across this great article about buying a car if you have a multi-month trip and how that can be super economical. Check it out if you have plans to spend longer in Africa and visit multiple countries.
Has anyone else rented a car in another country? What’s it like? Let us know in the comments!