Driver's license in South Africa

When moving to live in South Africa, it can be a good idea to rent or buy. This will allow tourists greater freedom of movement, and can ensure that business travelers don't have to wait for trains or buses in order to get to appointments and meetings. For visitors who intend to stay for prolonged periods such as expats, driving a car is really the only way to get around, and so expats need to be aware of the laws regarding the licenses that they hold, and what they will allow them to do in South Africa.

The first option that is offered to most travelers to South Africa is the International Driver's License. This is a universal card which can be used to provide identification to the police, to other officials, and even used as an additional form of ID for other circumstances. They are considered to be useful in South Africa, where other forms of driver's licenses might not be accepted, but they are only really useful for people living in countries which do not have specific agreements with South Africa, or if the license is not in English. In addition, many vehicle companies in South Africa will only accept the International license, rather than individual country's licenses.

Many expats in South Africa come from countries where their driving licenses are recognized in South Africa. This makes it very easy for civilians of places such as the USA, Europe and Australia or New Zealand, to travel and hire vehicles in South Africa. These licenses should be the more modern ones, with photographic IDs and detailed information about the driver. It is a good idea to make sure that this documentation is up to date, and will pass the requirements for drivers in South Africa by discussing it with a travel agent or anyone who is familiar with South Africa.

Once accepted into South Africa, there are several different options when it comes to driving a car. Car rental is the most popular form of transport for travelers, and most rental companies offer transport at airports, as well as in the major city centers. However, it is very expensive when using a car for more than a short period of time, and most expats choose to buy a car. This can be complicated, and there are is a lot of paperwork which needs to be completed before any sale can go through. Expat forums are a good place to find cars at reasonable rates, in addition to the classified ads of most local papers.

There are other details which expat drivers should be aware of. The first thing to understand is the speed limit, which is slightly different on main roads and on rural roads. Firstly, the highway limit is around 120 km/h, and secondary road limit will be 100 km/h. For city centers and other built up areas, the speed limit will be only 60 km/h, and there may be other indicators of different speed limit.

Useful links:

South Africa.info www.southafrica.info
Convert your foreign driving license ' SA Government Services www.services.gov.za
Road safety ' Arrive Alive www.arrivealive.co.za