Car Hire in South Africa - Getting to South Africa

Unless you’re visiting from neighbouring African countries, the only realistic way of reaching South Africa is by air. Many airlines fly to Johannesburg from Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. There are several flights a day to the UK. Cape Town's international airport is getting busier, though it doesn’t exactly rate as a world class airport, and receives limited direct flights, usually you have to connect locally. Durban also receives a few international flights, from Europe and the Indian sub-continent.

By car the N1 heads north to Bietbridge, where you can enter Zimbabwe. There are also routes east into Mozambique, via the Lowveld and Komatipoort, and west from Johannesburg to Mafikeng and into Botswana. From Cape Town you can travel north to Namibia (and overland from Johannesburg to connect). Lesotho is an independent country surrounded by South Africa, with several border crossings (mountain terrain permitting), mostly along its western flank. There are several routes into Swaziland, along its western and southern borders.

Cross border bus services run to all countries from the nearest major centres as well as Johannesburg, and South Africa’s road network is good, though be warned about dangerous driving.

Apart from the occasional cruise ship, there are no commercial ways of reaching South Africa by boat.