Insurance, excesses, extra costs, breach of contract
The personal accident insurance covers the driver and all passengers in vehicle.
Personal belongings stolen from the car are not covered.
Towing due to mechanical failure is covered by the rental company – towing due to an accident must be covered by the hirer.
In the event of an accident you are bound to pay a certain excess amount.
Most insurances do not include:
- Acts of negligence
- Tyres
- Windscreens
- Torn upholstery
- Theft (if the car was parked in an unsuitable place)
- Accidents on non-suitable roads
Some examples for a breach of contract are:
- Accident occurring after the vehicle is due to be back at one of the rental company’s offices
- Driving under the influence of any illegal drug
- Negligence
- Unauthorized drivers

Cross Border Travelling
Cross border travelling is not generally allowed. To cross borders with a rented car you need a “letter of authorization”, which must be requested at the time of reservation. Some companies charge “cross border fees”. These fees can go up to ZAR 1000 or even more.

Online Internet Discounts
Many companies are currently offering discounts when you are booking on the internet. When booking online, print out the confirmation information and take this with you to the company’s office.

The “24 Hour clock”
Most companies use the “24 hour clock rate”. This means that they charge you an extra day when you are not returning the car within the 24hours.

Unlimited mileage?
Check if your contract with the rental company includes unlimited mileage, or not. If not, make sure that you stay within the limited mileage.

Check out the condition of your car!
Before you take off it is a good idea to check your car for scratches and or other damage. Any damage, scratches etc. should be noted on the contract.

Petrol charges
Fill your car with petrol before you deliver it back to the rental company’s office. Otherwise they will charge you with a premium rate for the “refill”.

to download the tra:mag rent-a-car user guide
click here (requires Adobe Acrobat©)

See the tra:guide getting around forum for comments and reviews about the renting a car in Southern Africa!

Renting a car became very popular with backpackers and individual tourists in the last couple of years in Southern Africa. With it the risk of getting diddled grew incredibly. To avoid this we wrote the "tra:mag rent-a-car user guide".
Renting a car means that you can go wherever you want and your not bound to any public transport, timetables etc., but it also means that you have to attend on the conditions of your rental contract very well when you rent a car. Make sure that you have read the contract precisely.
We are trying to provide usefull information about renting cars in Southern Africa, but www.travelcomments.com is not taking any responsibility for any information provided in the “tra:mag rent-a-car user guide”. All aspects mentioned are with out any guarantee and are due to change.