Cheap Car Rentals in South Africa from $20
This price is the cheapest per day rate found by a Cheapflights user in the last 48 hours by searching for a car hire in South Africa with a pick-up date of 28/10 and drop-off date of 3/12. Fares are subject to change and may not be available at all agencies or on all dates of hire. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
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South Africa car rentals in 2026
Get helpful information to start your search for the perfect car hire in South Africa. The average price data is based on the last 12 months and was last updated on 9 October 2026.
Most popular company | Woodford |
|---|---|
Most common car type | Compact |
Average price per day | $52 |
Cheapest price per day | $20 |
Popular car types in South Africa
Explore the most popular car models available for hire in South Africa and choose the one that suits your needs. The price data is sourced from various car hire companies and was last updated on 9 October 2026.
There are 43 hire agencies servicing South Africa. These agencies, altogether, have 1,480 hire locations available. Need an affordable hire? small car is the cheapest car type to hire in South Africa with prices from $20 a day in the previous 7-day period. Here are 5 car types you can hire in South Africa:
Economy
$20+
Compact
$21+
Intermediate
$29+
People mover
$51+
Full-size SUV
$69+
Mini
$20+
Premium
$87+
Passenger van
$100+
Best car rental deals found in South Africa
Browse through a selection of recently found affordable car hire deals in South Africa. Plan your trip with ease and find the perfect hire option for your needs. There are currently 8 hire car agencies in South Africa with an average daily rate of $50. Data was last updated on 9 October 2026.
Mazda Demio$20/day
Toyota Corolla$20/day
Toyota Yaris Cross$21/day
Cheapflights insights for South Africa car rentals
Get relevant, data-driven information to help you hire a car in South Africa, including pricing trends, ideal booking times, and more.
How far in advance should I hire a car in South Africa?
To get the best deal on a rental car in South Africa, book about 7 days before your trip. At that point, average daily prices are around $43, which is about 41% cheaper than the typical rate.
What is the cheapest car hire company in South Africa?
Woodford is currently the cheapest car hire company in South Africa with deals as low as $9.79/day found in the past two weeks. Firefly is another inexpensive option with rates as low as $10.99/day.
What is the cheapest month to hire a car in South Africa?
At South Africa, the best time to rent a car is at May, with an average daily rate of just $49. Conversely, December is the priciest month, averaging $58 per day. Below youll find the monthly average rental prices. Note that costs can fluctuate depending on availability, booking time, and vehicle type.|1#In South Africa, the best time to rent a car is in May, with an average daily rate of just $49. Conversely, December is the priciest month, averaging $58 per day. Below youll find the monthly average rental prices. Note that costs can fluctuate depending on availability, booking time, and vehicle type.
January
$55
February
$56
March
$55
April
$52
May
$49
June
$51
July
$57
August
$55
September
$57
October
$57
November
$53
December
$58
What car do most people hire in South Africa?
SUV cars (Toyota Urban Cruiser, for example) are the most popular in South Africa. Passenger van (Toyota HiAce) and Intermediate (Toyota Corolla Quest) cars are also often chosen by our users when visiting South Africa.
Which car hire company has the most locations in South Africa?
Avis has 108 locations throughout the area, more than any other company. Pace Car Rental has the second-highest number of locations in South Africa at 3.
What are the car rental prices for popular cities in South Africa?
Discover the price range for hiring a car in popular cities across South Africa, helping you budget and make informed decisions for your upcoming travel. There are 280 pickup locations in South Africa to choose from. Price data has been averaged over the last 12 months and was last updated on 9 October 2026.
Out of all the popular cities in South Africa, Port Elizabeth is the cheapest city to rent a car ($17/day). Other popular cities in South Africa to get a cheap rental car are: Cape Town ($20/day), Durban ($21/day), and Johannesburg ($24/day).
Top rental agencies in South Africa
Explore the leading car hire agencies in South Africa known for their outstanding service and extensive range of vehicles to choose from. There are currently 8 car hire companies in South Africa. Reviews were last updated on 9 October 2026.
Overview
Reviews
Locations
Avis
36 reviews•108 locations
Overview
Cleanliness
8.6
Comfort
8.5
Overall
8.1
Pick-up/drop-off
8.1
Value
8.1
Recent reviews
10.0
|Oct 2026The experience was amazing
2.0
|Oct 2026I booked a car for 25/8/26. I wanted to upgrade my booking. The manager at avis cape town airport just refuse to help us. She demanded my pasport & international licence. She would not even give me chance to speak and canseled my booking on the spot. We wore stranded at airport for more then 8 hours trying to find another car from somewere els. Which cost me over R10 000. December 2025 service was good but this was the worst ever. I will not recomend avis to enny one els in future. Mariaan Robberts
10.0
|Jul 2026Awesome staff, thank you again.
2.0
|May 2026Worst experience in my life I had with a company. They take money with no communication 😒
8.0
|Sept 2023Easy hire convenience. Thank you.
2.0
|Mar 2023The car promised was not available when I went to pick up the car. I was to pay $469 and got charged $662. I brought the car back with 7/8 of a tank of gas instead of it being full. This was in part because I kept getting lost when I tried returning the car. I guess 1/8 of a tank of gas in South Africa is $200 Canadian dollars. I will not rent from Avis again.
1 out of 12
Avis Locations in South Africa
Overview
Reviews
Locations
Europcar
20 reviews•90 locations
Overview
Cleanliness
7.7
Comfort
7.2
Overall
5.8
Pick-up/drop-off
6.4
Value
6.2
Recent reviews
2.0
|Aug 2023When I booked the car I was quoted a cost. After I returned the car I was charged an amount that was 40% higher than the quoted cost.
10.0
|Jan 2023At check in I was given the keys to an economy car not an suv compatible as requested. I had the paperwork with me and they apologised and swiftly rectified their mistake. Everything else was perfect and quick returning the car. Highly recommend
1 out of 7
Europcar Locations in South Africa
Overview
Reviews
Locations
Thrifty
7 reviews•50 locations
Overview
Cleanliness
5.5
Comfort
5.5
Overall
4.7
Pick-up/drop-off
4.7
Value
5.2
Recent reviews
2.0
|Mar 2022They could not find my reservation in their system and denied having reserved a car for me. Consequently I had to pay R700 more for the exact same car that I had reserved in your system. It was incredibly inconvenient and I had no other choice and I’m quite upset with the experience. I will not be doing business through this app/website again for that reason.
2.0
|Mar 2022There is no Thrifty in Cape Town. After standing in line for 2,5h we finally reached the counter and were told that the vender with the name Thrifty does not actually work with Thrifty. They said: you booked with "dollar thrifty" which is no longer a partner. There was no other vender at the airport remotely connected to thrifty.
1 out of 3
Thrifty Locations in South Africa
Overview
Locations
CABS Car Hire
6 locations
CABS Car Hire Locations in South Africa
Overview
Locations
Pace Car Rental
3 locations
Pace Car Rental Locations in South Africa
Overview
Locations
BOBO
2 locations
BOBO Locations in South Africa
Overview
Locations
U-Save
18 locations
U-Save Locations in South Africa
Overview
Locations
Al Wefaq
3 locations
Al Wefaq Locations in South Africa
Car rental FAQs
Find answers to frequently asked questions about car hires in South Africa, including policies, requirements, and more. FAQs were last updated on 9 October 2026.
What is the most popular car hire provider in South Africa?
The most popular car hire company at South Africa is Firefly. With prices on COMPACT starting at $17/day about 461% more people book with Firefly than other companies in the country.
What is the cheapest city to get a rental car in South Africa?
When visiting South Africa, it is typically cheapest to rent your car in Pretoria where rental cars typically will cost around $37/day (53% less than the country average). The absolute cheapest rental car price in South Africa was found in Pretoria for just $24/day.
What side of the road do you drive on in South Africa?
In South Africa, drivers are expected to drive on the left side of the road.
Car rentals by fuel type in South Africa
Browse car rentals by fuel type in South Africa. Currently, Petrol/Diesel cars are the cheapest to rent in South Africa. Deals were last updated on 9 October 2026.
Browse through car rental deals by fuel type in South Africa. There are currently 2 fuel types to choose from with Petrol/Diesel being the cheapest ($14+).
Hybrid
$40+
Petrol/Diesel
$14+
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