Driving is on the left with right hand side drive vehicles. Roads are generally good and you may not necessarily need a four wheel drive. You may find yourself driving very long distances in South Africa so make sure you stop frequently as fatigue is the main cause of road accidents. Also refuel regularly. South Africa has four way stop signs where the first car to arrive at the junction has right of way. You should come to a complete stop before you proceed.
At traffic lights a flashing green arrow means to proceed. A flashing red arrow means you can proceed if no other cars are approaching. Left or right turns at traffic lights that are red are illegal
Be careful at traffic lights at night as there are sometimes car-jackings. Leave enough room between you and the car in front so that you don't get boxed in by car jackers. If driving at night have your windows rolled up and your door locked. Do not pick up hitch hikers or offer assistance to broken down vehicles. Always leave your car parked in a safe and well lit spot. You may want to consult local knowledge about some areas which are best avoided.
Driving at night you should always be aware that there may be vehicles on the road without proper lights such as bicycles.
Animals in the road are also something to watch out for and these can vary from domestic animals like cows to wild animals such as baboons and antelope. If someone is leading animals across the road and request you to stop you must do so. Do not ever try to feed wild animals.
The Automobile Association of South Africa is the best source of up to date road information. It is illegal to drive while on the mobile phone so pull over and stop somewhere safe if you want to talk.
If you are involved in the accident don’t move your car till the police arrive. Turn on your hazard lights. Put out warning triangles to warn motorists of the accident ahead. Phone the police/emergency services and contact us.
All passengers must wear seatbelts whether they are in the front of the back seat. There is a fine for non-compliance which is given to the driver of the car.
Motorway signs are blue and the roads are prefixed with N or R.
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Petrol prices are somewhere around 5 rand per litre, current rates are listed at
http://www.shell.co.za/vpower/pprice.htm. Stations are open 24 hours and are manned by attendants who will fill up for a small tip. 95 octane is available at higher altitude while you can get 93 octane at the coast. Fuel cannot be bought on a normal credit card, only on government issued garage cards.
0.05%. Drink driving limits are strict and strictly enforced.
Your licence and some form of photo id.
Yes, as long as it is in English with your signature and a photo. If your licence is not written in English you need an international driving licence.
- Traffic lights – Robots
- Rand – South African currency
- Heita - Hello
- Dirt roads – Usually safe to drive on at a reduced speed.
- Garage card - For buying fuel, otherwise its cash only.
- A small hill - Koppie
- Phone call – Tinkle
Note that it is customary to flash your hazard lights as a thank you if a slow moving vehicle has moved towards the hard shoulder to let you pass.
Most of the main roads which join major cities are toll roads. The fares can be anything between two Rand and 46 Rand for a small passenger vehicle. Have some cash or a credit card handy. The N4 between Pretoria and Nelspruit has the most expensive toll road.
- 60km/h in built up areas
- 100km/h on secondary roads
- 120km/h on major routes such as urban freeways and national highways.
Speed cameras and radar guns are in operation and fines get sent to your address or rental company.
The conversion from kilometers to miles per hour is one kilometer = 0.62 miles per hour. 120 kilometres is 75 miles per hour.
The legal driving age is 18. You need to be over 21 years of age to drive a rental car and to have held your licence for more than a year. There can be a young driver surcharge for those under the age of 25.
The number is
10111 for police and fire services and
10177 for medical services.
The British embassy is located at 255 Hill Street, Arcadia, Pretoria and has the phone number 27 012 421-7500.
The American Embassy is located at 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria and has the phone number 27 012 431-4000. The emergency medical company Netcare can be called on 082911.
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It is illegal to park your vehicle facing oncoming traffic. You cannot park a vehicle within one and a half metres of a fire hydrant, anywhere encroaching a pavement or obscuring a parking sign. Vehicles should not obscure public drives either. You cannot park within five metres of an intersection or within nine metres of a pedestrian crossing unless you are in a designated parking bay. You also are not allowed to park on the roadway of a public road within an urban area.