There are many places to see in South Africa. Should you fly to these destinations and then rent a car locally or should you travel for days using your own car? For most experts, while the drive may be an experience, the cost on your car may be high especially if you do not have solid information on the road conditions.
At any rate, it does not hurt to know how the car rental business works in South Africa just in case you decide to rent instead of drive or commute.
Insurance on a rental car is reasonable but charged on a daily basis. You can request a special rate if you book the car for several weeks. Otherwise, most rentals will charge you daily. You can rent the car through a broker or go directly to the car rental office. Usually, the rates are cheaper through a broker but you should still shop online.
You should decide if you want a diesel or gas engine. It would also be a good idea to know what kind of car or truck you prefer. This way you can narrow down your list of rental companies to talk to. Other features you may want to inquire about would be the sound system, air conditioning, optional insurance, mileage, baggage space, number of passengers, etc.
Other factors you have to consider concerns what happens and what you should be careful once you are driving the rental. Hijacking is a possible situation so you need to take extra precautions when driving to new places. For instance, don’t leave bags or gadgets visible on the seats. This is a dangerous temptation to thieves. Places like Johannesburg are known to be a hijacker’s heaven so if you are going there, never park in dim areas or travel alone at night. Most important is to keep your doors locked always. This is also why tinted cars should be considered, most especially if the driver is a woman. Other safety tips would be to not stop if the car gets hit and you’re alone. Keep driving until you get to a public place where other people are. If you get injured and you do not have insurance, it could be expensive. With this said, however, there are many places in South Africa that are quite safe: if you’re thinking about relocating into a safe area then consider centurion property or areas like Irene.
Many of the roads outside the big cities are not well-paved. This is why you will notice more pick-up trucks and 4WD than sedans or luxury cars. You might want to Google the area you plan to visit and talk to people who may have been there. If you sustain major damage to the car because of the rough roads, it will cost you and you will have to pay for the repairs.
Renting a car in South Africa even if you are a resident is not uncommon. It’s hard to drive long distances but at the same time, once you get to your destination, you would want the freedom from depending on taxis or public transportation. Rental is an excellent solution. You just need to make sure everything is in writing with the rental company and accountabilities are understood. In short, you need to know exactly what you are accountable for.