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Road Rules and Traffic Regulations in South Africa - Driving Nuances
1. South Africa has a well-developed system of roads, and if in major cities a part of their residents use public transport, in provincial towns private cars remain the main means of transport.
2. A part of national roads and highways are paid, and the cost of using different roads can vary significantly. For example, entering a toll road may cost you from 0.5 to 7 USD. It is possible to pay in cash or by credit card.
3. The majority of parking lots in cities are paid. The cost of their service is approximately 2 - 4 rand per hour. The services of multi-storey car parking lots will cost a bit more – an hour of parking costs approximately 5 rand. All paid parking lots are serviced. It is not difficult to notice parking area’s staff - they all wear jackets made of bright colors.
4. The majority of filling stations work round the clock. This is particularly true about petrol stations located near busy city roads and large highways. There are often small shops next to many petrol stations. These small shops usually sell soft drinks, snacks and other useful products to motorists.
5. Almost every gas station has workers who are ready to offer numerous additional services for a small tip (2 - 3 rand). For example, at a petrol station it is possible to check the oil and tire pressure, wash the car’s windows and its registration number.
Nuances of Car Rental in South Africa
To save on your rental, we advise to book your car in advance. You will save the most if you do this several weeks or even several months prior to your trip. Rental offices in South Africa usually raise rental prices over time, based on the number of cars left available for the accounting period.
When looking for an exotic car (cabriolet, minivan or limousine), we advise to check in the rental offices located at airports, as they usually provide much wider choice comparing to offices in urban areas.
Upon receipt of invoices, bills and documents for your car at the rental location, please compare the obtained data with your voucher. Quite often, employees of rental offices in South Africa try to add optional charges or services without informing customers.
It is very important to pick up your car at the rental office in South Africa in a correct way. Prior to leaving the office, carefully inspect the car for various defects, and ensure that all the discovered defects are mentioned in your rental documents. In case of a non-compliance found, place a demand for correction to the rental officer.
You can always check our car actual rental offers in South Africa. Simply use the search form at the top of the page. We guarantee that you will not find better prices anywhere else!
7. Left driving remains one of the main distinguishing features of local roads. Drivers, who are accustomed to right driving, should remember that overtaking on the roads of the Republic of South Africa is possible only on the right.
8. Cars that move on the left have the advantage (the principle of "interference on the left"). During first several days, drivers, who are accustomed to right driving, will find it difficult to struggle with the reflexes developed during many years. In order to get accustomed to the local regulations, experienced drivers will need 3 - 4 days.
9. Each type of roads has its own speed limit. For example, it is prohibited to drive faster than 60 km/h in the territory of settlements. On country roads, the maximum permitted speed is 100 km/h, and on highways it is 120 km/h.
10. While moving, drivers should not forget to pay attention to road signs, because the speed limit can be different for different parts of roads. Speed control is carried out by means of special radars and cameras. Any violation of traffic regulations will result in heavy fines.
11. In addition to speeding, driving while intoxicated is considered a very serious violation. Drivers should also keep in mind that, while driving, the driver and all the passengers must fasten seat belts.
12. In South Africa, there is a special rule that concerns the right turn. If there is a flashing arrow at a traffic light, then it is allowed to make a right turn. If the arrow is not flashing, then turning right is permitted only in case there are no cars moving in the opposite direction.
14. There is an interesting unspoken rule that concerns overtaking. The car, which has been given way, must certainly thank other road users for that. In order to do this, it is enough to turn on the warning signal for just a couple of seconds. Local drivers often “wink” with beams to say "you’re welcome".
15. There are free parking areas near some streets. However, as a rule, it is very difficult to find a free space on them. In most cases, local people are main customers of such parking areas as they are well aware of the location of free parking lots.
16. It is very simple to distinguish toll roads from free roads. Paid roads are marked with the letter «N». Payment is made at the road entrance, so skipping the payment area and driving on a toll road for free is simply impossible. Drivers are advised to stock up on coins and paper money in small denominations, as this way it will be easier to pay for using the road. It is also possible to pay by credit cards of international standard.
17. It is important to note that car insurance is not mandatory in South Africa. Therefore, in case of an accident you will need to call the police from the site of the accident. It is the police (not insurance agents, like in many countries), who make the report, according to which the amount of insurance payment is determined.
18. In some cities, drivers are likely to see rather unusual road signs. Signs that indicate the location of streets are painted on curbs, which are located along roads. Local drivers have already become accustomed to such road signs, while foreign guests will certainly consider them very original.
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