What do you need in order to rent a car in South Africa?
Since South Africa isn't exactly famous for its efficient and readily-available public transport system, you may need to rent a car if you plan on doing a self-driving tour through the country. Here's what you'll need before you can get comfortable behind the steering wheel.
If you've seen everything you've wanted to see from the back of an inner-city Uber, you may want to do some exploring of your own at a later stage. South Africa has multiple car rental agencies and a wide range of cars to choose from. Your best bet would be to compare car rental quotes from a reputable website that can find you the best deals fast, such as Hippo.co.za. Another option is comparrentals.co.za.
Once you've decided whether you want to rent a Nissan Almera, Toyota Corolla Quest or a Volkswagen Polo (among many others), you'll be needing the following documentation:
1. Your driver's license.
If your own license is in a language other than English, we suggest applying for an international driver's license before you come to sunny SA and making use of that instead.
2. Your passport, or for SA citizens, your green bar-coded ID book or card.
3. Your credit card.
And, if your partner, spouse or friend(s) will be driving too, they need to have their driving documentation with them as well, for insurance purposes.
Points to remember
1. Don't pay the car rental company in advance.
If you need to cancel your trip, you may struggle to have your money refunded. Many car rental companies will only ask for your credit card details in order to confirm you booking, but will only charge you once you arrive. Check for the fine print when you receive your quote.
2. Make sure you know what the rental quote includes and excludes.
According to capetowncarhire.com, you need to be aware of the following:
"Most quotations give you the bare minimum details, so firstly, check to see exactly what the price includes. This often will include unlimited kilometers; TLW [Theft and Loss Waiver] and CDW [Collision Damage Waiver] and possibly VAT. That is the easy part but leaves you pretty much in the dark,realistically."
To get a better idea of what you'll be liable for, you will also need know out if the quote includes tyre and rim damage, what the amount of the waiver is, if you're covered for third party damage, how much airport surcharges are, and how new the vehicle is. Insist on a full quotation that lays all of this out, clearly.
3. Ensure that your rental company offers a countrywide a back-up service in case something goes wrong.
Should you find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere and in need of a replacement vehicle, you're going to be utilising all of those new Afrikaans swear words you picked up at the hotel bar when you find out there's no back-up service,
4. Take out the most comprehensive car insurance you can afford.
The sad reality is that most of SA's road-users don't have proper insurance and even if you did nothing wrong, you will still need to pay up - so rather let your insurance take care of it.
5. Before you take temporary ownership, ensure you do the following:
Give the car a thorough inspection for tyre or rim damage, windscreen chips, scratches, dents, or any other imperfections. Now, go through the hand-over sheet and make sure that all of these are reflected on the sheet. You don't want to end off your holiday by paying for other people's damages!
Before you set off on your journey...
...remember that South Africa is a beautiful, but a crime-ridden country, so ensure you have all the necessary emergency numbers stored on your phone. We suggest you also read Top tips on Hijack Prevention here.
