Situated on the lush inclines of Table Mountain, and between the Indian and Atlantic oceans, the bustling city of Cape Town offers vast panoramic views and exciting activities for any type of visitor. With so much to see and do in this beautiful city, car hire has become the most viable option.
Drive Africa, a popular Cape Town car rental company, offers fantastic rates and quality vehicles to travellers visiting the city.
Swaziland Travel Guide
Heading out to the region of Swaziland, Southern Africa can be fun and enjoyable, especially so if you remember all that you need to bring along to make the trip memorable. If you are planning a trip, you should remember to get a good car rental Swaziland company service. To get the most out of traveling Swaziland, you are going to definitely need a rented car to travel the country and enjoy your time.
Cape Town and Johannesburg are beautiful areas in Swaziland, and to see all the sights you need a car. To save money, you should find a service that will provide the best car rental deals in the region where you are traveling. Hiring a company to send a car out to Swaziland will end up costing you a lot. Look for a car rental Swaziland area company.
Another way you can save a lot of hassle and get the most out of your traveling trip is to utilize the services of a company that negotiates directly with the local dealers. This will avoid getting you, as an individual buyer, being forced to pay rates far above average. A company that you book a cheap car with for car rental Swaziland will deal one-on-one with the major car rental companies in Southern Africa and you’ll be aware of the price every step of the way.
You can enjoy a ride with no cash down and not even a credit card required. Save yourself from having to worry about negotiating deals while you’re on your traveling journey through Swaziland. 
Lesotho: Tips for Cheap Car Rentals
One of the best ways to experience the beauty and magic of Lesotho is by car. When you travel by car in this exotic and exciting land, your experience becomes more personal. You will come in close contact with natives, the culture, and countryside. You also have the convenience of coming and going as you wish. Of course, for this to happen, you have to first locate a cheap car rental Lesotho service.
The good news is that finding a cheap car rental in Lesotho is easier than you may expect. Of course, this does not always mean that you will get quality. When you book your car rental in Lesotho, you want to make sure that company you book with offers cars that are suitable for your experience. This means that they are dependable, reliable, and comfortable, coming with all the necessary bells and whistles necessary for navigating that exotic Lesotho terrain. 
Car Rental Tips in Mozambique
If you are vacationing, visiting, or traveling to Mozambique, the quality, reliability, and dependability of your car rental can make or break your experience. Since so much of your travel in Mozambique will be dependent on your car, Mozambique car rental is of course the key to your trip. If you book the wrong car or with the wrong car hire company, you could be left wanting.
This is why it is so important to ensure that your Mozambique car rental will suit your needs. You want to take things like size, comfort and air conditioning into consideration. Also, because your travel within the area may consist of traveling off road or on unpaved paths, you should consider booking with a car rental company that offers 4 x4 vehicles that are equipped with off road capabilities. By doing a little research beforehand, you will greatly increase the quality of your trip.
Of course, if you are looking for more information on some of the best and cheapest Mozambique car rental and car hire rates, you may want to ask the pros at Drive Southern Africa. Visit them at http://www.drivesouthernafrica.com/.
Adding up Addo
The Eastern Cape’s Addo Elephant National Park was established in 193I to prevent the last of the region’s once mighty elephant herds from being blasted into oblivion. The locals had become fed up with the bolshie pachyderms damaging their properties and threatening their lives so the government had sent down one Major Pretorius to sort them out. And sort them out he did.
Bang, bang, bang went his rifle and within no time the elephant problem ended. Thankfully though, there were a few people who thought it would be a shame if the Eastern Cape lost the mighty beasts altogether, and so the Addo Elephant Park was born – a tiny place where the last 11 jumbos in the Sunday’s River Valley lived in relative peace – and were fed with daily deliveries of oranges.
It was pretty much just a zoo back then, a sort of circus attraction that brought in tourists but had little conservation value. Now, however, things are very different. From a humble 2 000 hectares, the park has expanded into a megapark of some 168 000 hectares covering six different habitats: Nama Karoo; fynbos; forest; subtropical thicket; coastal belt and marine. Impressive indeed. In fact because the ‘new and improved’, Addo Elephant National Park focuses on marine as well as terrestrial conservation, its slogan is ‘The only protected place in the world where you can see the Big Seven’, by which it means elephant buffalo, lion, leopard, rhinoceros, Southern Right Whale and the scary great white shark.
The Alexandria dunefield (the largest dunefield in the Southern Hemisphere) is now part of Addo, as are the seven Algoa Bay islands, which together harbour the world’s largest Cape Gannet breeding colony and more than 4096 of South Africa’s penguins. There are seal colonies and Roseate Tern nesting sites, as well as numerous important fish and perlemoen breeding areas deep beneath the surface. So perhaps Addo should find a new name for itself. But of course elephants are a big part of its history and are still the number one drawcard – so ‘Elephant Park’ it’s likely to stay.
The Colchester section in the south, which has been opened up partly to accommodate the growing herds of pachyderms, is just one of many new areas that have been incorporated into Addo. The reason for this expansion is because the focus of the park is no longer on saving individual species, but rather on saving entire habitats, some of which are exceedingly rare. One such habitat is the Alexandria dunefield, a magnificent rolling landscape of cream-coloured mountains covering 15 800 hectares and stretching some 50 kilometres along the coast. But it’s not only the rare animal and other species living among the dunes that gain from the park’s protection. Humans, or at least those living nearby, also benefit, as rainwater that’s filtered through the sand is siphoned off in a controlled manner to provide drinking water to nearby communities. At the same time, underground freshwater ‘rivers’ from the same source travel far out to sea and mix with the ocean, thereby creating unusual yet crucial conditions for the thousands of marine species that live and breed out there. Should these ancient flows be disrupted (by an increase in human use, for instance), the environmental and economic consequences for South Africa could be disastrous.
The dunefields are also important for cultural reasons, because scattered among them are numerous prehistoric shell middens left by people from a long gone race who gathered there and ate heartily from the available seafood. Thank heavens it’s all being protected, then. Another biome that’s being saved comprises the lovely fragments of forest which are all that remain of the unbroken canopy that once ran down the coast. Most of this was swept aside to make way for cattle pastures, but the bits that remain have been incorporated into the Woody Cape section of Addo. The dream, of course, would be to link up the remaining patches to regenerate a forest that partially resembled the original. But SANParks cannot pursue this because the land is too important for dairy farming.
Cross Border Rentals – Lesotho
Lesotho
As my passport is already stamped and the cross border car rental building is indeed closed, I cross over into Lesotho with my 4×4 rental with no problems. I am rewarded by the most spectacular views, looking across a magnificent, rugged alpine landscape, and the sight of a restaurant. I stop there for a quick meal and short rest before continuing my journey.
Lesotho is an odd country, despite being entirely surrounded by South Africa, it’s most definitely another country; in fact in many ways it seems to be another world. Today, there are very few vehicles at the summit, although I do pass some Basotho people on their donkeys wearing blankets and their conical hats.
Black Mountain Pass
From Sani Top, I continue along the road and reach the Black Mountain Pass, which is different from but as dramatic as the Sani Pass. Instead of spirally upwards over a short distance, the Black Mountain Pass climbs steeply and then drops sharply into deep valleys. Two hours and 52 kilometres later, I arrive in the town of Mokhotlong (which means the place of the bald-headed ibis) in a valley dominated by Thabana Ntlenyana, which at 3482 metres, is southern Africa’s highest ‘beautiful little mountain’. The guide book tells me that one district commissioner even had his wife’s piano transported from the Sani Pass – as I look back up at the route taken, I wonder at the skill of the donkey/pony handlers.
Mokhotlong to Thaba-Tseka
The next morning, after refuelling, I go back along the road for a few kilometres until I reach the St. James High School, where I turn right at the sign to Rafolatsane and Linakeng. I cross over a concrete bridge, then turn right at the T-junction. The road passes along the edge of a deep and narrow valley, winds up a steep hill to the village of Linakaneng, and then descends into the valley, towards Linakeng village. About 15 kilometres later I cross the Linakeng River. I nearly miss the junction to Taung about eight kilometres further on. Here I turn right towards Tsaha-Tsheka and soon reach the Koma-Koma causeway. Luckily the weather is good and so the causeway is passable – it is often impassable in heavy rain. About an hour later, after the village of Mohlanapeng, I reach Thaba-Tseka.
Katse Dam
The road is Katse Dam is a good dirt one. The Katse Dam is part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, an blab la bla. At an elevation of almost 2000 metres, Katse must be the highest dam in the Africa (and also contains arguably the coldest water in Africa).
Maluti Mountains
The next morning I start early to drive to Semonkong. Passing through Thaba-Tseka again, I continue towards Roma, past the Mohale Dam. The Maluti Mountains are truly one of the great scenic routes in Lesotho, from the stack and dramatic scenery of the Blue Mountain Pass to the willow-lined valley that then leads up to the Molimo Nthuse (‘God Help Me’) Pass. Over another pass and then I begin to descend into the valley and farmlands. I turn left to Roma from where it’s another 90 kilometres to Semonkong. The road is good, sealed for the first 30 kilometres and then a relatively good direct road. About four hours after leaving Roma, I arrive in Semonkong.
Semonkong
Lesotho is not just a beautiful scenic country. It is also an adventure sport destination for many South Africans. I am spending a couple of days in Semonkong to indulge in waterfall worship and experience some extreme adrenaline rushes. The following day I swop my 4×4 hire for a pony. Basotho ponies are descendants of the Indonesian horses that were imported to the Cape in the early nineteenth century. They were interbred with Arab stallions to produce strong, sure-footed ponies able to withstand the harsh climate. It sure makes a change from driving – on a pony you feel part of nature. My pony is incredibly sweet-tempered and copes admirably with the uneven terrain, where not even a 4×4 rental could pass.
Ketane Falls
My first waterfall destination is Ketane Falls. I get off my horse and scramble over boulders, down an embankment and onto a rock slab overlooking the waterfalls. The Falls thunder over a huge rock outcrop dropping 120 metres to the pools and rocks at the base. I don’t go too near the edge and am relieved to get back on my pony and return to firmer ground! Later, I think about my reaction to the vertiginous drop at the waterfall. I have travelled through most of southern Africa, across borders and bush. I have happily driven up and down mountains in my 4×4 , and it is only now that I realise I suffer from a from of vertigo! It’s time to face my fears.
Maletsunyane Falls
The next day, I go to the Maletsunyane Falls (meaning Place of Smoke) to grab myself some vertigo-beating, adrenalin-pumping action. I am going to abseil alongside the Maletsunyane Falls, which, at 200 metres, is the highest single drop in the whole of southern Africa. At the top I stand, strapped in, deafened by the unbelievable noise issuing from the waterfall, seriously doubting my sanity and contemplating throwing myself off the cliff! Instead, I take the plunge and experience the most memorable 30 minutes of my life. It is quite overwhelming to descend alongside a thundering waterfall, surrounded by spray.
The next day, I leave Semonkong to return to Maseru from where I will cross into South Africa at the Maseru Bridge border post and take the N8 to Bloemfontein. Thank goodness my 4×4 hire caters to the under 21 car hire crowd. Its good-looking and stable, getting me from A to B.
Cross Border Rentals KZN
KwaZulu Natal
Just outside Golela, I turn my 4×4 rental left onto the N2 and head south for Durban. I could probably make Durban before nightfall, driving along the 500 km of good motorway, but I decide to stop en route. There’s a game reserve at Mkuze but I want to gain some time so choose to stop at the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park. The other option is to go west to St Lucia Estuary, but I don’t want to go too far from the N2. After taking the Hluhluwe off-ramp, I turn right at the stop street and cross over the freeway. After about 14 km along a tar road, I arrive at the memorial gate and steer my 4×4 hire through the entrance to the reserve.
Hluhluwe-Umfolozi
Established in 1895, Hluhluwe Umfolozi Game Reserve is the oldest game reserve in Africa and covers about 96 000 hectares. It’s contains an amazing variety of fauna and flora and is famous for having rescued the black rhino from extinction. On the drive into the reserve I see giraffes, zebra and loads of buck. There are some rhino around but I keep my distance, as I have heard stories of rhinos charging cross border car rental vehicles. I don’t know whether it’s true or not but I am not going to risk it. I spot some vultures sitting on top of a tree, no doubt waiting for their supper. I am spending the night in a camp on top of a hill in the centre of the park. The views are to die for. That evening I go on a 2-hour night drive and am incredibly lucky to see a leopard with its kill (a warthog) up a tree.
The next day, I drive slowly for 17 kilometres until I reach the Nyalazi gate. There I turn my trusty 4×4 rental right onto the R618 towards Mtubatuba and get onto the N2 again, direction Durban, which is less than 300 kilometres away. The Valley of a Thousand Hills is formed around the Mnegni River and its tributaries and as I drive along the lush coast road, I begin to understand how this landscape so inspired Alan Paton. The magic of these hills is almost tangible and so I stop from time to time to appreciate the beauty and enjoy a coffee.
Durban
It’s almost nightfall when I pull my cross border car rental into Durban. The next morning I join the hordes of sun worshippers on Durban beachfront. I play in the water, pretend to get eaten by sharks, eat pineapple on a stick, and watch the dolphin show. I even take time to watch one of the beautiful sand sculptors at work. I can’t resist a little twirl in a rickshaw, and then round off my day with the dodgy pleasures of Durban’s Minitown.
But, after a good night’s sleep, I am pleased to be on my way – my 4×4 rental and I aren’t made for city life. I take the N3 past Pietermaritzburg and Hilton until I reach the R617 off ramp at Merrievale (Southern Drakensberg). I then turn left onto the R617 to Underberg where I turn right to Himeville. I fill up with fuel and restock my supplies in Himeville. About 9 kilometres out of the town, I reach a crossroads where I turn left onto a gravel road that leads to the Sani Pass.
Sani Pass
The Sani Pass is the highest pass road in South Africa and was originally developed as a bridal path in 1913. The first vehicle negotiated the path in 1948 when it was no more than a donkey track. Although the road has been upgraded, I am still glad that I am driving a 4×4 hire vehicle as the pass snakes its way up the Drakensberg escarpment. The driving is quite tiring. I have to navigate around zigzag curves and hairpin turns. By the time I reach the South African border post I have climbed more than a kilometre! At the South African border I am astonished when the officials tell me that the Lesotho post is closed for the day, so they’ll just give me the stamp – but apparently this is fairly common. Under 21 car hire has made the continent of Africa accessible to youngsters from around the globe and they often stand amazed at our supposed lack of fanfare where official business is concerned.
The road behind the South African border post is extremely steep and rocky. Greatly relieved to have good traction and four wheel drive, I drive slowly and take care to brake and accelerate smoothly. I am not surprised at the names given to some of tight turns in the road – ‘Suicide Bend’, ‘Ice Corner’ and ‘Big Wind Corner’ to name but a few. About eight kilometres after leaving the South Africa, I reach the summit (at 2874 m) and direct my 4×4 rental in the direction of the Lesotho border crossing.
Cheap Car Hire South Africa
The modern traveler of today is experienced in doing internet searches with regard to their holiday car rental needs and knows how to search for affordable car hire in South Africa and other countries they wish to visit. Since there are so many car rental companies in South Africa, you will find the first few pages of Google covered by hundreds of car rental companies in South Africa, all vying for first place on the initial Search Engine Results Page in Google. The international traveler has not only become wise in his or her internet searches for car hire in South Africa, but has also become price conscious due to the tough economic times that we are all experiencing. So it’s no wonder that the term ‘cheap car hire in South Africa’ is being used in different forms as the main keyword or key phrase in finding affordable car hire in South Africa.
The danger when looking for cheap car hire in South Africa is that potential clients will not know if the company they have found is reputable, real or merely a virtual company on the internet. Another concern is what the cars look like and what condition they are in. There are many questions that go through the heads of the potential client: Is the car properly insured and will I be covered with this cheap rental company in the same way as with larger, better branded companies? Will the excess be sky-high or will it come at an affordable price?
Yet another question: How will the renter be able to pay, as the norm is when renting a car in South Africa, using a valid driver’s license, passport or identity document and a valid credit card? These are normally the only ways of securing a car. In our research throughout the South African car rental industry the main obstacle we came across is that potential clients need to be in possession of a credit card when they hire a car.
Coupled with the worldwide credit crunch and the economic downturn, there is a tendency in Europe to phase out credit cards in major retail stores throughout Europe, with the result that many who are travelling to South Africa are arriving on our shores without a credit card yet still need to hire transport to get around. After all, self drive car hire is still the best way to see South Africa. Drive Africa did its own searches to find car rental companies that offered cheap car rental without credit cards and car hire companies that offered cheap car rental using debit cards. We only came up with small, dubious companies in the major towns in South Africa such as Cape Town and Johannesburg. Interestingly enough, these businesses were not found on the internet.
About Cape Town
Cape Town, the beautiful Mother City of South Africa, is one of those places which feature prominently on ‘Dream Destinations’ lists of travel-lovers the world over. Since the dawning of democracy in 1994, Cape Town’s popularity as a prime tourism destination has grown extensively. Cape Town holds something for everyone – families, gay tourists, adventure-seekers, students – from gap-year backpackers to 5 star conference delegates, the city welcomes visitors from every walk of life, and ever nationality, each year. Even in the winter months, called the “Green Season”, the City is pretty busy. Let Drive Africa get you around with their great car hire cape town rates.
Cape Town is situated in the extreme south of South Africa between the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the Indian Ocean in the east. This vibrant and exciting city spreads out on the lower slopes and in the valleys at the foot of the famous landmark, Table Mountain. The mountain, which has a height of 1086 meters is a national monument and boasts a larger variety of plants than the whole of Great Britain! The mountain overlooks the CBD and some of the older suburbs, and is visible from almost every place in Cape Town. This makes it suitable for orientation, and it is also used by locals to predict the weather.
A trip to the top in the rotating cable way offers some of the best views in the country. Incredible panoramic views are also accessible when you take a drive along Signal Hill.
Cape Town is in every way an exotic and exciting destination, with its eclectic mixture of African, European, Caribbean and Californian influences creating a dynamic atmosphere.
While touring the Peninsular with your rental car Cape Town there are countless ways to experience this melting pot of cultures and influences.
Sample wines sourced from grapes grown on the lush slopes of rural Constantia.
Visit the ‘Cape of Good Hope’, stopping off along the way to enjoy long stretches of isolated sandy beaches.
Prefer to be surrounded by ‘hip and happening’ people? Visit Camps Bay or Clifton along the Atlantic Seaboard – busy beaches full of beautiful bronze bodies meet buzzing seafront cafes and cocktail bars.
Visit the Bo-Kaap with its colourful homes of the Cape Malay community, and then take a township tour to experience one aspect of modern Xhosa culture by meeting the locals in the Shebeens (township bars).Cape Town is renowned for the relaxed atmosphere of its people. But don’t be fooled – the locals know how to work and play hard despite the ‘laid back’ attitude they exude!
In downtown Cape Town, you will find Green Market Square. This picturesque area, bordered by trees and trendy cafes and restaurants alongside an old stone cathedral, is the site of the well-known craft market from Monday until Saturday. The old City Hall, built in the 18th century is situated opposite the station.
The Victoria and Albert Waterfront has established itself into a 24 hours entertainment area, with restaurants, pubs, shops and entertainment for the whole family.
You can participate in sightseeing tours around the port or to the former prison island ‘Robben Island’. A visit the incredible Two Oceans Aquarium is also well-worth doing.
Make every moment of your Cape Town holiday count. Use Drive Africa for your car rental in Cape Town.
Cape Town will capture your heart and your imagination – and you will return again and again – no doubt about it!
Car Rental South Africa – Drive Africa
Car buying South Africa
Car Rental South Africa-Drive Africa
Drive Africa offers the best solution to long-term transport for visitors to South Africa in our Guaranteed Buy Back programme. The success of this programme is largely due to the difficulties associated with buying a pre-owned car privately in any foreign country, South Africa being no exception in this regard.
The procedure of making a used car purchase is fraught with many risks.
Although used cars are generally well priced, the many hidden costs accumulated tend to surface only after the deal is done. Many new owners of pre-owned cars realise afterwards that they should have dealt with someone who offers a guarantee. Any undisclosed problems can end up costing a great deal of money over and above the purchase price, with no recompense from the previous owner.
This is why the smarter option is to purchase a vehicle through Drive Africa. Our buy back guarantee means that you purchase a fully licensed, roadworthy, quality used vehicle from us. When you return home, we buy it back from you. No hassles, no catches – it’s really as simple as that!
However, if you do decide to purchase a car privately, we’d like to offer you some advice.
Take note of the following car buying tips and procedures:
Purchase
It is important to conclude a sales contract when buying a used car. Registration forms are available at the local traffic authorities. All used cars must pass a roadworthy test, which will cost about R 200.00.This test is best done at AA Test & Drive Centres, which are located around South Africa.
Payment
Normally you pay the purchase price cash or via bank transfer. It is important to keep the voucher. The voucher will allow you to transfer the money back to your account in your home country after you have sold the vehicle. Without this, you could have difficulty changing the South African Rands back into the currency of origin.
An international bank transfer takes approximately 4-6 days.
Registration
Within 21 days of signing the contract, the vehicle must be registered at the “Department of Licensing and Registration”.
For this you need the following documents:
- Change of Ownership / Sale of motor vehicle form
- Roadworthy Certificate
- Original Registration Certificate
- Bank Release Certificate
- Current License Disc
- Driver’s License
- Passport
- Traffic Register Number
- Address in South Africa
For the registration you should plan 2-3 days.
Insurance
South Africa has no compulsory cover for vehicle damage. This means that some 70% of drivers are uninsured. Against this background, and keeping in mind the fact that repairs are very expensive in SA, it is advisable to obtain fully comprehensive insurance cover, or at least cover for Balance of Third Party, Fire and Theft. This is almost impossible to do without a permanent address in SA or without a local bank account. Being young also counts against you.
More Information
Give yourself enough time to market and sell the vehicle before your departure. The less time you have to sell the car, the lower the price you will have to accept. If necessary, sell your vehicle to a local dealer, even if you get a price under the market value.
When selling to a private person, it makes sense to take someone with you for added security. Don’t let the buyer do a test drive on his own. Only accept cash, and be weary of cheques, as these are easily forged.
For driving to Kenya or Tanzania, you need a Carnet de Passage, obtainable at the AA. To get it you need 100% deposit of the vehicle cost. Does your holiday budget allow this?
Summary
Buying a car in South Africa is time consuming and may delay the start of your holiday. That is why Drive Africa offers buy back guarantee vehicles that are fully insured and roadworthy. Purchasing a buy back car from Drive Africa means no unnecessary paperwork, long queues or time wasted. It is clearly the intelligent choice.
