Self Drive Holidays

Take a rental car for the freedom to travel where you want and when you want….

Overview

Have you considered taking a self drive safari holiday in South Africa or Namibia? Perhaps friends have done it and told you how easy it is? We certainly believe it is one of the most enjoyable ways to explore these country. You experience beautiful landscapes and meet the people at your own pace.

But perhaps you are more hesitant? Concerned about the condition of the roads, the ease of car hire, or getting lost? Cedarberg Africa started way back in 1995 as self-drive experts for South Africa and Namibia. Thousands of our clients have happily enjoyed a self drive holiday for all or part of their holiday. So we’re here to explain that a self drive safari holiday is very easy to enjoy in South Africa or Namibia…

Why Self-drive Holidays in South Africa?

  • Excellent value for money compared to having private transfers or a guide. See our blog post on Easy self drive tours in South Africa for a comparison of self drive vs scheduled tours vs private tours...
  • Flexibility – no set daily plan. You can do what you like when you like. All that’s booked for you is your accommodation.
  • Take our sample self drive tours and adapt them as you wish, adding nights or changing hotels.
  • Select what type of car group you want from compact to luxurious.
  • Driving is on the left, the roads are generally excellent and all the road signs are in English.
  • We provide detailed directions and a comprehensive travel itinerary outlining suggested routes & what to see in each area
  • GPS or Data on the Go is always included in the rental car

South Africa self-drive

Naturally, we craft most of our self-drive holidays to South Africa to your personal needs, taking a detailed brief from you.

Using a specialist tour operator who books a lot of self-drive in South Africa also saves you plenty of time and money. We have all the directions to the hotels and lodges at our fingertips. We know which routes are the easiest and most picturesque. We know where GPS is not to be relied on. We also know how far people can comfortably travel in one day and still enjoy their holiday...

Best routes for Self Drive Safari Tours in South Africa?

Probably the routes that everyone finds easy are in the Cape province. You can settle into the country in Cape Town, then have a car delivered to your hotel when you are ready to start exploring around the Cape Peninsula, out to the Winelands. From there you can head north to the Cederberg and West Coast. Or east to the Whale Coast, the Garden Route and the Eastern Cape on a safari.

However there are many other parts of the country to explore. KwaZulu Natal is a perfect destination for self-drive as private touring is expensive there, plus there's lots of variety. You can also head into more off the beaten track areas such as the Northern Cape of Namaqualand and the Kalahari, the Waterberg or even the northern Limpopo.

South Africa self-drive

Self-Drive Holidays in South Africa: It’s not “all or nothing”

Of course it’s one thing enjoying a self drive holiday in the Cape or along the Garden Route. You may feel comfortable with that. But want road transfers or a private guide elsewhere? Not a problem! Combining self drive with private transfers and touring is a great way to have the best of all worlds.

Highlights

  • A self-drive holiday gives you the flexibility to enjoy the day as you want, unconstrained by a set itinerary… the freedom to travel at your own pace.
  • It’s the most affordable way to get around and see the country.
  • Driving is on the left in South Africa and Namibia, the road network is excellent and the signs are all in English.
  • We have several sample self-drive tours in South Africa and Namibia to whet your appetite.

We had a great time, a very memorable holiday

"Thank you for your patience with us through the planning stage. Standard of room we realise is important to us maybe we should have discussed this more at the planning stage. It was a very memorable holiday " Mrs Sara Brill, USA

Incredibly well organised

"Everything was incredibly well organised and left nothing wanting. We did not see all of the animals that we had hoped for but the experience we had was so much more than that. Hopefully we will return to Africa one day – maybe Namibia / Botswana next time. Thank you so much for organising everything for us it is very much appreciated. " Mr James Coleman

Couldn’t have been happier…

"Cedarberg and specifically our specialist Peter, have been excellent. Really communicative and just very on the ball. From the planning and payment, all the way through to arriving back home. The transfers, hotels, everything was spot on. Couldn’t have been happier with how our honeymoon went. " Mr Clark Hoy, UK
 

Natasha Jantjies

Africa Travel Specialist

Hi I'm Natasha, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience

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Did you know
  • Speed Limit in South Africa & Namibia120 km/hour on the highways
  • Cross BorderYou can drive between South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Eswatini & Botswana

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A varied and fantastic holiday that we will never forget

"Milandi interpreted all our needs perfectly and the tailor-made holiday was way beyond our expectations. As a first time visitor to South Africa, we were quite apprehensive about safety, but all the places chosen for us to stay in were comfortable and hospitable. " Mr Andrew Thompson

Competitively Priced

"Cedarberg were helpful, easy to deal with, competitively priced. " Mrs Jane Perrins, UK

Very helpful discussions

"Very helpful discussions beforehand to give us lots of options. The personalised website was really good. The pre-holiday booklet was really useful as well. " Mrs Rachel O'Connell, UK

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