Date : 9 April 2026 Car Rental
Introduction to the car rental industry in South Africa
Renting a car provides a flexible means of transport to tourists.
Tourists can drive themselves to where they need to be, instead of
having to rely on public transport.
The car would need to be big enough to fit their luggage.
Major car rental companies in South Africa
Major car rental companies in South Africa are Avis, Budget,
Europcar, Hertz,
Tempest and Thrifty.
The bigger car rental companies have offices at all the major
airports in South Africa as well as in the main cities and towns.
Smaller companies operate in a particular region or province only.
The Southern African Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association
(SAVRALA) is the industry association for the car rental industry
Conditions for renting a vehicle
The most important is that the renter must have a valid driver’s
licence.
Most car rental companies require that the renter be above a
certain age,
between 21 and 23 depending on the company.
The renter must have a credit card with enough funds available to
cover the
costs of the rental as well as any insurance amounts that the
insurance on the
car does not cover, this also indicates that the person is
creditworthy.
All car rental companies require renters to sign a rental contract
or rental
agreement which outlines the conditions of the rental.
Rental packages and options
Car rental companies give better rates for longer rentals.
Offer special rates over weekends to encourage leisure tourists to
rent a car
Offer cars from small to minibuses for rental, the more features the
car has, the higher the rental rates.
The rental rate includes a certain travel distance per day.
For every kilometre that the renter travels in addition to this
allowance, there is a fee per kilometre.
When the renter returns the car to the car rental company, a
company official
checks the number of kilometres that the car has travelled during
the rental
period.
Insurances
There are different types of insurance that renter can take out when
they rent a car, to help reduce the impact of different risks.
CDW (collision damage waiver) cover for accident or collision, it
reduces the
renter’s liability if the vehicle suffers damage in an accident.
TLW (theft loss waiver) covers the theft of the vehicle, if someone
steals the car, the renter must pay a set amount only.
In both CDW and TLW the amount that the insurance does not cover
is the
excess.
To pay less excess, the renter can choose a higher car rental rate
that includes super collision damage waiver.
SCDW (super collision damage waiver)
STLW (super theft loss waiver)
PAI (personal accident insurance) compensate the renter in case of
injury in an accident and to cover the cost of medical treatment of
these injuries.
Additional costs and charges
As with any contract, there are additional costs, some of which are
included in the rental fees and some of which are not included.
Costs that are included in the rental fees:
o Tourism levy – 1% levy, additional driver charges, contract
fee, delivery and collection charges, cross-border fees,
optional equipment such as GPS and child seats.
Costs that are charged at the end:
o Fuel deposits and charges, airport surcharges
Incidental costs:
Administration fee for accidents and traffic fines.