South Africa Self Drive & Namibia | Cedarberg Africa Experts

Thinking about a self-drive safari holiday in South Africa or Namibia? Perhaps friends have raved about it – cruising past vineyards, pulling over for spontaneous photo ops,soaking up the scenery, and meeting the people - all at your own pace. We think it's one of the most rewarding – and surprisingly easy – ways to explore southern Africa.

But maybe you’re feeling hesitant? Concerned about road conditions, car hire hassles, or getting lost in the middle of nowhere? We've been helping travellers confidently take the wheel since 1995.

So let's put those worries to rest...

Why Self-drive Holidays in South Africa?

Better value for money than private touring or transfers – especially when travelling as a couple or family See our blog post on Easy self drive tours in South Africa for a comparison of self drive vs private tours.
Maximum Freedom – no fixed schedules, no group tours, just you and the open road. You can do what you like when you like. All that’s booked for you is accommodation and any specific excursions you want to pre-book.
Local know-how – we advise on the best car type, optimal routes, hidden gems, and where GPS is more ‘guess’ than ‘global’
Stress-free planning – we include everything: detailed directions, data access or GPS, and a customized itinerary including highlights on the road. (The Data on the Go option gives 1GB of data per day.)
Maximum Choice - Select what type of car group you want from compact to luxurious.
Driving is on the left, roads are generally good and all the road signs are in English.

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

Bonus Perks of Booking with Cedarberg Africa

We’ve planned thousands of self-drive trips – we know what works
We keep things realistic – no 8-hour drives or “short detours” across mountain ranges
We save you time, money and hassle – and offer peace of mind if you need help mid-trip
We have all the directions to the hotels at our fingertips. We know which routes are the easiest and most picturesque and how far people can comfortably travel in one day and still enjoy their holiday...

Best routes for Self Drive in South Africa?

Probably the routes that everyone finds easy are in the Cape. You can settle into the country in Cape Town, then have a car delivered to your hotel when you are ready to start exploring further afield.

Cape Town to the Garden Route – An effortless, picture-perfect start with great roads and endless vineyards, whales, and wildlife
Whale Coast for epic whale-watching in Season, glorious beaches and mountains year round
Combine the West Coast, Cederberg Mountains and Winelands for three contrasting areas

However there are many other parts of the country to explore. See our South Africa self-drive page for more info.

Want something more rugged? We also offer self-drive tours in Namibia or adventurous trails through the Kalahari. But don’t worry – we don’t throw you into the desert without a plan!

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

Prefer to start with a few private transfers or guided tours and then pick up your rental later? Brilliant. Many of our clients mix and match - Cape Town with some guided tours, and then the Garden Route with keys in hand, ending with a fly-in safari. Easy, flexible, smart.

Important Note: It’s worth mentioning that most safaris are accessed via road transfers. When we talk about self-drive, we mainly mean the non-safari portion of your trip. But sometimes a safari stay is an integral part of the road trip. Chat to us!