Traveling within South Africa

Getting to and from most major cities is relatively easy. However, you should expect travel without a car to be difficult in South Africa. Most cities don’t have very obvious systems of public transport, although with the World Cup coming to S.A. in 2010 there will be a few new lines of transport.

** Airlines:
South African Airways - they may tend to be more expensive & more luxury, however they have the most flights of any carrier in the country.
Kalula - cheaper airline that flies through most cities in the country
Mango - also a cheap airline, however they tend to fly in and out of the bigger cities only

** Buses:
The buses provide a good, affordable way to get to and from the big cities to smaller, more remote towns. If you only need a way to connect to some of these smaller places and can’t find rental car companies in these towns, the buses will be your best bet. For a 10 hr bus ride from Graaff-Reinet to Cape Town, for instance, I paid about R150.
Inter Cape - probably one of the more reliable bus companies with a fairly large range of routes.
Translux - not always the most punctual, but also another bus company to consider with slightly lower rates.

** Car Rentals:
First a note: South Africans drive on the left side of the road, like in the UK. The fast lane is in the right and you pass people from the right side. Many of the roads are only 2 lanes.

If you are driving more slowly than the cars behind you, you are generally expected to hug the edge of the road to allow other cars to pass. If the lanes are too narrow for you to pull aside, motion using your right turn signal if you see that the road is clear enough for the cars behind to pull ahead. The median lines are drawn just like American roads, with dashed lines on your side to indicate pass-zones. If you pass a car that pulls aside for you, it is considered courtesy to flash your hazards at them a couple of times after you pull ahead.

The driving in SA is not always very good and you must be aware of other drivers on the road. Taxis, which are very large minibuses, tend to have rather impatient drivers and will often overtake you from the wrong side.

Most cars are manual, although it is possible to rent automatics. Manual cars do tend to be a bit cheaper and are better suited to the dirt roads in rural areas. Otherwise automatics are just as good and possibly easier to adjust to if this is your first time driving on the left.

It is generally considered a “no-no” to drive alone at night. Not so much now as a few years ago, but car jackings are quite common and happen mostly at night. I’ve heard along some parts of the N1 at night people lay out rocks in the road to make you stop and will then force you from the car. This is why it is also not considered safe to pick up any of the dozens of hitchhikers you will find along the way, though it is tempting.

Companies: Imperial/Eurocar
Dollar/Thrifty
Avis
Budget

** “Taxis”
Taxis in SA do not refer to yellow checker cabs or black rolls royce vehicles, but rather large minibuses (like church vans) that cater to the large numbers of people without cars. In a way they are like informal bus systems. You will not find an organized map with all the routes - several different companies own groups of taxis but some are also individually owned and run. Taxis can (and I stress “can”) be safe, but I would not recommend attempting to master the system without some help from someone you know locally. The cost of taxis tend to be quite cheap, but it runs on a know-how basis & are not always safe for the obvious newby. There are certain pick up and drop off locations, certain signals you need to know to hail them from the side of the road, and often you must wait for a stopped taxi to fill up entirely before the driver will begin his route.

** Cabs
I’m not yet familiar with all the cab companies in SA and its various cities, but you can hire a cab (more like a yellow checker) by calling in advance. If you need a ride to the airport, a bus, or train station OR late at night this might be your best option.