If your driver's licence is in any of South Africa's 11 official languages (e.g. English) and it contains a photo and your signature integrated into the licence document, then it is legally acceptable as a valid driver's licence in South Africa. However, some car rental and insurance companies may still insist that you provide an International Driver's Permit.
It is generally best practice to acquire an International Driver's Permit in your country of origin, prior to starting your journey, regardless of whether your licence is legally acceptable or not.
One individual always travels with a hired car in South Africa (at least one month per year) and never had a international drivers permit, just a Dutch driver's licence, perfectly acceptable.
Note that police may ask for a bribe (between R200 to R600) if you produce a foreign driver's licence (see also Stay safe section). Don't pay it, ask for their name and ID number and report them.
Useful links
National Roads Agency, , has latest toll tariffs and road condition reports.
South African Automobile Association, ph: +27 083 843 22,
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about South Africa
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in South Africa - updated Mar 2024
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South Africa Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.