GPS vs Written Directions: What Works Best in South Africa?

Why GPS Isn’t Always Your Best Guide

Navigation systems are designed with one goal in mind: finding the shortest route.

In South Africa, that’s often not the best route.

Road conditions vary dramatically:

• Smooth national highways
• Scenic but winding mountain passes
• Gravel secondary roads
• Pot-holed roads in some more remote rural areas
• Rough tracks into private game reserves

A GPS may happily shave 20 km off your journey. By sending you down a slow, corrugated gravel road that doubles your travel time (and your stress levels).

Our rough rule of thumb:
A gravel road needs to be at least half the distance of a tar road to be worth considering. That’s rarely the case.

When GPS or Google Maps/Waze Works Brilliantly

To be fair, GPS or Google Maps absolutely has its place.

It’s particularly useful:

• Navigating from the airport into a city
• Finding your hotel in cities and towns
• Locating well-known attractions
• Estimating travel distances quickly

In regions like the Western Cape – where tarred roads dominate – it’s generally very reliable.

(This is especially the case if your partner is directionally-challenged.)

Even then, we recommend using GPS alongside our written directions, (as we know which routes are usually easiest or more scenic). The combination works best: local expertise plus real-time mapping with the visual map on the GPS/Google Maps in front of you.

Where GPS Can Lead You Astray

The problems start once you head into more remote rural areas or driving into game reserves to find your game lodge.

Common issues include:

• Routing you onto shorter – but slower – gravel roads
• Once in game reserves, recommending the game-drive routes which are entirely impractical, rather than the main arrival route designated by the game lodge (which is kept well-maintained for arriving self-drive guests.
• Pinpointing the wrong lodge location (rare, but it does happen)
• Directing you to booking offices instead of the lodge itself.  
• Suggesting routes that are technically possible… but entirely impractical
• Sending you through towns not suited for tourists. (This is increasingly rare luckily)
• And once – with us – recommending a route on a private road (with locked gates). Luckily it is not an area we sell to clients.

This seems to be a particular problem when it comes to navigating to a game lodge.

A Real-Life GPS Misadventure (With a Slightly Rebellious GPS)

On a journey from Hazyview (near the Kruger National Park) to  Simbavati River Lodge  in the Timbavati Game Reserve, we decided – purely out of curiosity – to follow the GPS suggestions. (We have been to the lodge before and so we know the route.)

It did not go well.

First, it directed us into a rural township via a gravel shortcut. Shorter? Yes. Faster? Absolutely not as this was taking us to Orpen Gate with no through-access to the Timbavati Game Reserve.

Then it suggested a route via the southern part of Thornybush private game reserve which is not a through-road to the Timbavati. We would have got to the Gate (and been refused entry). Luckily, we knew not to take this option.

Then it suggested a long, corrugated gravel road “”short cut” that eventually connects back to the main tarred road. Again, technically possible – but wildly inefficient.

Once in the Timbavati Game Reserve, it began suggesting random 4×4 game drive tracks, (which are used by 4×4 landrovers on game drives) instead of the main designated access road.

But this time, the various occupants in our rental car were enquiring whether our GPS had had one too many drinks. Its credibility was shot to pieces.

At this point, we switched it off  – along with any lingering trust.

PS: This was not the only occasion when the GPS gave us suspect directions in rural areas. BUT perhaps the most dramatic. 

Unfortunately some of our clients have also been caught out on self drive safaris in South Africa and followed the GPS in contradiction to our written directions. Thus finding themselves taking the longer route by mistake.

The Bottom Line

If you had been relying on the GPS to get to the game lodge, the routes suggested would ALL have added serious time to the journey. To say nothing of anxiety and added driving pressure.

So use GPS – but don’t rely on it blindly.

For a smooth self-drive experience in South Africa:

• Use GPS in cities and for general orientation
• Always follow your safari company’s expert-written directions for rural routes
• Trust local knowledge over algorithmic shortcuts

In short: GPS is helpful. But our 30 years of experience is invaluable.

Requently Asked Questions about road directions

1. Is Google Maps reliable in rural South Africa?
It works well in cities and on major roads but can be unreliable in rural areas or when navigating to game lodges.

2. Should I rent a GPS for a self-drive safari?
Yes, it can be useful, but we generally arrange a Wi-Fi Router in the car so that you have 1GB of data per day to use for Google Maps or Waze. Either way, written directions remain essential, when in doubt.

3. Why does GPS choose bad routes in South Africa?
Because it prioritises distance over road quality, often suggesting gravel roads that are slower and less suitable.

Related Blogs on Self Drive in South Africa & Namibia:

• Quiz – are you ready for a self drive tour
• Easy Self Drive Tours
• Adventurous Self Drive – the inner Camel Man
• How NOT to do a self drive holiday

Ready to explore South Africa by road – without the wrong turns?

Let Cedarberg Africa guide your journey—so you can focus on the experience, not the navigation.

1. Tell us where you’d like to go
2. We map out the smartest, most enjoyable routes
3. You receive detailed, tried-and-tested directions & a full itinerary pack
4. Travel with confidence, knowing every step has been carefully planned

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“Self-drive in South Africa with GPS” – was written by Kate of Cedarberg Africa

Kate co-founded Cedarberg Africa in 1995 with her sister Ginny and has lived in South Africa for over 30 years. She has explored the country extensively by road –  long before GPS was commonplace – navigating everything from remote game reserves to enjoyable  coastal routes. Having designed countless self-drive itineraries, she knows exactly which roads to take (and which to avoid). When not crafting seamless journeys, she’s usually hiking in the Cederberg mountains or enjoying her family.

Cedarberg Africa is a specialist tour operator for Southern Africa. We focus on upmarket tailormade safaris for discerning and busy people. We make our money on the difference between our wholesale rates and the official public rates available to you, so that means that all our years of experience and expertise effectively come free of charge. So why not use our expertise?