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South Africa

Cheap Car Rentals in South Africa

Driver's age: 26-65
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South Africa car rentals in 2025

Get helpful information to start your search for the perfect car rental in South Africa. The average price data is based on the last 12 months and was last updated on 30 April 2025.

Most common car type

Standard

What is the cheapest time to rent a car in South Africa?

Discover the most affordable period to rent a car in South Africa and save money on your trip. The monthly average price data is based on historical data over the last year and was last updated on 30 April 2025.

January

RM 116

February

RM 129

March

RM 120

April

RM 129

May

RM 129

June

RM 133

July

RM 129

August

RM 120

September

RM 129

October

RM 138

November

RM 129

December

RM 146

Currently, the cheapest month to rent a car in South Africa is January. The most expensive time to rent a car is December. The cheapest prices for each month are shown above, but prices will vary based on availability, how far out you book your rental car, and of course, car type.

Popular car types in South Africa

Explore the most popular car models available for rent in South Africa and choose the one that suits your needs. The price data is sourced from various car rental companies and was last updated on 30 April 2025.

In South Africa, there are 1,359 active hire locations from 35 car hire companies. small car is the cheapest car type to hire in South Africa in the past week - currently priced from RM 72/day. View deals for 5 car types available to hire in this destination:

Economy

Economy

RM 72+

Compact

Compact

RM 79+

Intermediate

Intermediate

RM 93+

People carrier

People carrier

RM 165+

Full-size SUV

Full-size SUV

RM 189+

Mini

Mini

RM 70+

Luxury

Luxury

RM 224+

Compact SUV

Compact SUV

RM 112+

Compare available car types for rental in South Africa

Compare and contrast the various car types offered for rental in South Africa to find the perfect fit for your trip. Price data is based on averages over the last 12 months and was last updated on 30 April 2025.

Small cars

RM 83 - RM 202

All Car Types

RM 116 - RM 314

To rent a small car in South Africa, you would pay an average price of RM 130/day. January is the cheapest month to rent a small car in South Africa (~RM 83/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is June (~RM 202/day). In fact, January is about 37% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a small car rental for South Africa. When comparing with other car types available for rental in South Africa, renting a small car saves you 33% in costs. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best South Africa small car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To rent a medium car in South Africa, you would pay an average price of RM 135/day. March is the cheapest month to rent a medium car in South Africa (~RM 72/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is June (~RM 240/day). In fact, March is about 47% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a medium car rental for South Africa. When comparing with other car types available for rental in South Africa, renting a medium car saves you 30% in costs. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best South Africa medium car hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To rent a large car in South Africa, you would pay an average price of RM 273/day. November is the cheapest month to rent a large car in South Africa (~RM 161/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is October (~RM 529/day). In fact, November is about 42% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a large car rental for South Africa. When comparing with other car types available for rental in South Africa, renting a large car is 30% more expensive. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity.

To rent a SUV in South Africa, you would pay an average price of RM 187/day. January is the cheapest month to rent a SUV in South Africa (~RM 95/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is October (~RM 529/day). In fact, January is about 50% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a SUV rental for South Africa. When comparing with other car types available for rental in South Africa, renting a SUV saves you 3% in costs. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best South Africa SUV hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

To rent a van in South Africa, you would pay an average price of RM 192/day. February is the cheapest month to rent a van in South Africa (~RM 135/day), while the most expensive month to rent that same car type is May (~RM 473/day). In fact, February is about 30% cheaper than prices during the rest of the year to book a van rental for South Africa. When comparing with other car types available for rental in South Africa, renting a van is 0% more expensive. Please note that average prices are based on historical data and can vary depending on how early you book, availability for your travel dates, and vehicle popularity. Here are the best South Africa van hire prices found by Cheapflights users in the past 7 days:

Proton SagaRM 72/day
2
M
A/C
Proton Saga
Perodua AxiaRM 79/day
2
M
A/C
Perodua Axia

Top rental agencies in South Africa

Explore the leading car rental agencies in South Africa known for their outstanding service and extensive range of vehicles to choose from. There are currently 8 car rental companies in South Africa. Reviews were last updated on 30 April 2025.
Rent a vehicle with one of these top rental car agencies serving South Africa, including those serving the Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town area. Browse through some of the top rental car agencies in South Africa, including locations around Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

keddy by Europcar

10.0
Wonderful
2 reviews139 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

8.6

Overall

10.0

Pick-up/drop-off

9.3

Value

8.6

Firefly

10.0
Wonderful
2 reviews65 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

10.0

Overall

10.0

Pick-up/drop-off

10.0

Value

10.0

Thrifty

10.0
Wonderful
7 reviews44 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

10.0

Overall

10.0

Pick-up/drop-off

10.0

Value

10.0

1First Car Rental

9.6
Wonderful
4 reviews76 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

10.0

Comfort

9.2

Overall

9.6

Pick-up/drop-off

10.0

Value

9.6

Budget

8.7
Very Good
29 reviews98 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

9.3

Comfort

9.2

Overall

8.7

Pick-up/drop-off

8.5

Value

8.4

Avis

7.9
Good
26 reviews105 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.5

Comfort

8.3

Overall

7.9

Pick-up/drop-off

8.1

Value

8.0

Europcar

6.8
Okay
23 reviews81 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.7

Comfort

8.4

Overall

6.8

Pick-up/drop-off

7.5

Value

7.4

Hertz

6.8
Okay
14 reviews50 locations
Overview

Cleanliness

8.0

Comfort

7.7

Overall

6.8

Pick-up/drop-off

7.2

Value

7.1

Car rental FAQs

Find answers to frequently asked questions about car rentals in South Africa, including policies, requirements, and more. FAQs were last updated on 30 April 2025.
  • Which car hire company is considered to be the best in South Africa?

    Taking our users’ ratings and reviews into consideration, Thrifty (10.0 rating), Firefly (10.0 rating) and keddy by Europcar (10.0 rating) seem to be the best car hire companies in South Africa.

  • What side of the road do you drive on in South Africa?

    Cars in South Africa are to be driven on the left side of the road.

Car rentals by fuel type in South Africa

Browse car rentals by fuel type in South Africa. Deals were last updated on 30 April 2025.

Browse through car rental deals by fuel type in South Africa. There is currently 1 fuel type to choose from.

Petrol/Diesel

Petrol/Diesel

RM 36+

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