Can I hire on a debit card?
Sometimes, and the rules are stricter than on a credit card. Many Lowveld counters accept a debit card
only on the smaller classes, require two forms of identification, and take the deposit as an actual
debit rather than a hold, which means the money leaves your account and comes back five to fourteen
working days after return. Premium and bakkie classes are usually credit card only. If you are flying
in, sort this out by phone before you travel rather than at the desk at nine at night.
How much deposit will be held?
Count on R3 500 to R5 000 on a small hatch, R6 500 to R9 000 on a mid-size or a seven-seater, and R12
000 or more on a premium class. It is an authorisation, not a charge, but it reduces your available
credit for as long as the car is out plus the release period. Travellers who budget to the last rand on
a credit card get caught by this at the second fuel stop.
What happens if I bring the car back late?
Most counters allow a grace of about fifty-nine minutes and then charge a full extra day, often at the
walk-up rate rather than the rate you booked. That difference can be R400 on a small car and R1 200 on
something larger. If you are going to be late, phone from the road. A desk that knows is a desk that
usually waives it, and a desk that finds an empty bay charges the day.
Am I allowed on gravel roads?
Read the clause rather than trusting the answer you get verbally. The usual wording permits public
gravel roads maintained by an authority and excludes everything else, and underbody damage is excluded
regardless. The nine-kilometre approach to a lodge is exactly the sort of road that sits in the grey
area, so name the road at the counter and get the answer initialled on the contract.
Do I need the extra tyre and glass cover?
On the R37 over the pass, the R40 past the cane and timber traffic, or any reserve day, we would buy it.
It runs R40 to R70 a day and a fitted windscreen is R3 500 to R6 500, more on anything with a camera
bracket. On a flat tar-only week around town, it is harder to justify, and we would rather you spent the
money on the additional-driver fee.
Can I take the car into Eswatini or Mozambique?
Yes, with a letter of authority from the owner, ordered two to five working days ahead and costing R600
to R950, plus a cross-border surcharge on the rate. Not all classes qualify, some owners permit Eswatini
but refuse Mozambique, and your waiver may be suspended outside South Africa. Ask that last question
specifically, in those words.
Is a child seat worth hiring from the counter?
At R70 to R110 a day, hiring one is convenient and the seat is usually clean and intact, but you will be
fitting a model you have never seen in a hot car park. If you are driving a grandchild more than once on
the trip, bring your own seat on the aircraft as checked luggage and fit the thing you already know.
Either way, fit it in the bay before you leave, not at the guesthouse.
What do I actually need to show at the counter?
A valid driving licence you have held for the minimum period the agreement names, identification or a
passport, the card the deposit will go on in the main driver's own name, and the names and licences
of any additional drivers who will touch the wheel. Drivers under twenty-three usually attract a
surcharge of R120 to R250 a day. An international permit is helpful but not a substitute for the licence
itself.
