South Africa without a rental car

Hello and happy New Year to everyone, A friend and I are interested in going to South Africa (or Kenya) for about two weeks (last quarter of 2026) but without renting a car. Generally, I don’t like organized trips for the entire duration of a trip, and what’s more, this destination is very expensive. So, I was wondering if it would be a good idea to spend, for example, a week in Cape Town independently and take day trips with a local agency, then do a week-long circuit for a safari in a park, which would leave a bit of freedom to book flights and maybe get advice from local agencies. Is this a good idea? Is it doable or not? What do you think? Have any travelers done this kind of trip? Thanks in advance for your feedback. Dominique

Hi there,

What are you looking for in this trip?

If it's just Cape Town and the surrounding area, you can pretty much do without renting a car and skip organized tours—except for the parks.

If it's the nature/wide-open spaces that interest you, especially the animals, a vehicle is essential if you don’t want a guided tour.

The price is significantly higher for organized trips than doing it on your own for everything related to safaris/nature. Some offers are also a bit of a mess (Kruger Park by double-decker bus... no nights inside the parks... too many parks in a row... private reserves that are basically zoos exploiting animals to the point of having them finished off by hunters).

Traveling independently with a rental car, South Africa is the most budget-friendly "animal" country. It’s the best way to visit this "road trip" country with its mountains, wildlife parks, deserts...

Hi,

As Attila mentioned, South Africa is a really easy country for self-driving and the most budget-friendly option.

Hi and thanks to both of you for your replies. Actually, my post was about the possibilities of traveling without a rental vehicle. There are people who don’t have a driver’s license, are traveling solo, or groups of friends where no one wants to rent a car and drive on the left😉 Attila, when I mentioned the "accompanied package," I meant for the entire trip from France, through an agency (around 4000/5000 € 😕). That’s why I was wondering if it’s possible to spend a week in Cape Town and do day trips with a local agency, and of course, for the parks, take a flight and then use a local agency for a few days. It’s true that when you talk about double-decker buses, too many parks, etc., it doesn’t sound dreamy. Thanks again. Dominique

It's always possible to do group excursions. But they're more expensive, and to get something decent, you need to carefully check what's offered, especially for the safari part.

Nights should be spent inside the park, safaris shouldn't take place in buses or 4x4 trucks, the group should be small, and time spent in Kruger should be 3 days or more.

Around Cape Town, it'll be like anywhere else in the world. Easy but more expensive than with your own wheels. There's a double-decker tourist bus like in Paris, London, Rome, etc.

For the car, even if you're alone, it's better to rent one. Actually, unless you don't have a license or are traveling only with people who don't, a car is a big plus.

If driving on the left scares the driver, it's possible to rent only for the Kruger part. Take a bus to Nelspruit and pick up the vehicle there. Or explore the empty South Africa and its wonderful desert landscapes (from Cape Town to the north of the country). No one on the trails, few vehicles on the roads, no big cities, nothing to worry about. On paper, an international license is required, but in practice...