Best driving roads in South Africa

Driving a car or riding a motorcycle doesn’t only have to be about commuting, sometimes just going for a drive on a beautiful stretch of road can do wonders for the relationship you have with your vehicle.

Enthusiasts will argue for hours over which the best roads in SA are for one of these journeys so we have put forward our top ten list of the best driving roads that we have had the joy of traveling on over the last few months. We haven’t included for off-road, gravel or generally bad road surfaces and the route had to be scenic enough to make you want to turn around and drive it again.

As you will see the western cape stands head and shoulders above the other provinces holding six places on our list. The reason for this is the condition and more importantly the location of the roads in question.  We would like to mention at this point that our list only includes roads that we have personally driven and in no way excludes roads from the other provinces for any reasons other than the criteria we used.

From ocean views to spectacular mountain vistas and winding twisty tarmac we kick of our list of favorite drives.


10. Nico Malan Pass  R67 (Fort Beaufort to Seymour)

At just over 13km and climbing in elevation rapidly this road is not to be taken lightly and has claimed quite a few unwary travellers. Lush and green in summer and frostings of snow in the winter the R67 cements its place at number ten.

9.  Meiringspoort  N12 (De Rust to Klaarstroom)

Meiringspoort is short but what it looses in length it makes up for in natural beauty. Towering ravines and spectacular waterfalls dot the route with plenty of places to pull over and completely immerse yourself in the wonder of nature.

8. Outeniqua Pass N9 (Oudtshorrn to George)

With scenes straight out of a early South African novel Outeniqua pass stretches for 12.5km and reaches an elevation of 795m. An impeccable surface and wonderous valley views leading to the ocean checks off number eight on our list.

7. Helshoogte Pass R310 ( Stellenbosch to Wemmershoek)

Leaving Stellenbosch and climbing to just over 380m through a series of twists and turns the panoramic view of Stellenbosch and the winelands is unrivalled unfortunately the road on the other side of the summit isn’t that great  but the view over Drankenstein, Pniel and Franschoek in the distance makes up for it.


6. The 22  R536 (Sabie to Hazyview)

22km of twisty blacktop will test the skills of any motorcyclist or sports car owner. The stretch is a firm favorite for breakfast runs and anyone who wants to  see just how far they can push themselves.

5. Franschoek Pass R45 (Franschoek to Villiersdorp)

The hidden gem of the cape winelands, Franschoek ,is the starting point of the road on our list with the steepest gradient. The summit at 739m is reward enough for the work put in to get there but the road back down is the cherry on top!
 
4. RooiEls R44 (Gordons Bay to Bettys Bay)

Probably on of the most used roads on our list the Clarence drive or RooiEls as its more commonly known, hugs the Cape coast for 22km. Winding, twisty corners and the view of the turquoise waters of False Bay that stretch to the horizon will make you feel like you are travelling in the south of France.
 
3. DuToits Kloof Pass R101 (Tousrivier to Paarl)

Du Toits Kloof is 11km of motoring nirvana ,it is the alternative route over the mountains at a summit of 833m and is a lot better to take than the Hugenot Tunnel. Stunning valley views and 21km of snaking road that takes you through smaller tunnels making this drive  the third best we’ve driven.

2. Chapmans Peak Drive  M6 (Hout Bay to Sun Valley)

This is the most famous road on our list at number 2 ,Chapmans Peak stretches for  11.2km along the coast and rises from sea level to just over 111m. Its impossible to think that anyone would’ve and could’ve built a road on such an inhospitable piece of geography and boy are we ever thankful that they did. Prone to closures from rock and mudslides in winter, Chappies is best driven in the summer, cruising along at a sedate speed while appreciating the breathtaking views.

1. Long Tom Pass R37 (Lydenberg to Nelspruit)
        
Long Tom Pass takes our No.1 position simply because it scores top marks for all our criteria. An impeccable surface climbs over 683m over 22km of superb corners and inclines to 2150m above sea level and is often shrouded in mist so be careful!

If you enjoyed our list please feel free to send us your own suggestions and when were in the area will give them a try and see if perhaps your road can crack our Top 10!