Based on our experience, South Africa is one of the best countries to explore by road trip! Within a few hours drive we experienced beaches, mountains, winelands, and more. The wildlife in the country is definitely the most diverse we have ever seen. In one country we got to see wild penguins, whales, lions, elephants, ostriches, and pretty much every other animal I can think of. (Read our “17 Best Things To Do in South Africa” blog post here.)
Everywhere we drove along the coast seemed like a scene straight out of a car commercial because it was so picturesque. Some of our favorite drives were to Chapman’s Peak, Cape of Good Hope, and Stellenbosh. Chapman’s Peak Drive has actually been the filming location for many car commercials. The road is made up of 114 curves that wind their way around and sometimes through the side of a mountain with a beautiful view of Hout Bay. It was the perfect place to watch the sunset. Cape of Good Hope is the southwestern most point of the continent. The entire drive has a beautiful view of the rocky coastline which leads to a peninsula with a breathtaking view. Along the way we stopped at Boulders Beach to see the wild African Penguins! It was one of my favorite days in South Africa! Stellenbosh is home to some of the best winelands in all of Africa. These world renown winelands not only produce some incredible wine, but are also a beautiful place for a road trip. It was well worth the hour drive from downtown cape town to see this charming wine country.
One of the road trips that is at the top of our list for our return trip to South Africa is the Garden Route. The Garden Route is a gorgeous drive along the coast of the country that begins about 4 hours east of Cape Town. The route goes on for about 120 miles and is full of quaint towns, hiking trails, and beautiful pull-over stops. For people in the US it looks like a blend of Big Sur and New England all wrapped into one road trip!
The company that we rented our car from was Kenings Car Van and Truck Hire. They are a family-owned and operated fleet management company that offers all different types of vehicles for rental. They have everything from compact cars to 4×4 trucks and Mercedes Sprinter Vans. The cars that we drove from Kenings seemed brand new and were great on gas mileage. Exploring the country by car is definitely the best way to get to experience South Africa!
One of the reasons we loved working with Kenings was how easy they made the entire process. The company has locations in Cape Town, Durban, And Johannesburg. We rented from them in Cape Town and Joburg and both times we had an incredible experience. My favorite part about Kenings is the Airport pickup. When we flew into Joburg there was someone at the airport with our names on a sign waiting to take us to our rental car. We didn’t have to catch a shuttle or worry about finding the car rental location. They were very friendly, professional, and had everything ready for us as soon as we arrived. When we were finished with the car, the company came to pick up our car directly from our AirBnB. As soon as we were finished with our road trip, Kenings was waiting at our AirBnB for us. All we had to do was sign a paper, hand them the keys and walk into our apartment!
In addition to the airport pickup, another thing that sets Kenings apart from other car rental companies is their care and commitment to the local community. Kenings offers scholarships for college students in South Africa. They also provide internships for young adults. They are a local company that is interested in caring for the local community and paying it forward to the South African youth.
South Africa was one our top 5 favorite countries to visit. Within a few hours drive we were able to see beaches, mountains, winelands, penguins, whales, and more. There is definitely something here for everyone. With English being one of the countries official languages, it is a great place for people from America to visit. If you are interested in booking a car for your road trip through South Africa, visit Kenings website here.
