Selwyn_Davidowitz

I think the below notification that I received today (07/9/22) from my local tourgide association is a very important one for those who are going to self drive in South Africa.

<b>Travellers to South Africa - International Driver's Permit /Licence</b>

Please be advised that the Traffic Department are now enforcing a law which
was passed in 1998 that travellers to South Africa wishing to rent a motor
vehicle whilst in this country must be in possession of a valid
&quot;International Driver's Permit / Licence&quot;. Should travellers neglect to
obtain this document before leaving their country of residence, they will
not be permitted to hire a vehicle in South Africa.

Budget Rent-a-Car recognises that there may be instances whereby a reservation was made and the renter prepaid prior to this notification and will not be in possession of an international drivers licence. They will not turn the customer away - however they will incur penalties should the
Police stop them.

Should your travellers be using motor vehicles other than the hired ones,
ie. making use of a company or friend's vehicle etc, they will STILL need to
be in possession of such licence. Licences will NOT be issued to foreign visitors upon arrival in this country. Travellers must be advised to carry their foreign Driver's Licence as well as their International one.

Hope this helps

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

DonTopaz

Thanks for the info, Selwyn.

My knee-jerk reaction is that this is absolutely a scam, and that there's a fair bit of money changing hands on this one.

The only thing that an IDP permit does is to translate the information on the holder's driver's license into multiple languages. (And I haven't seen an IDP for years, but I'd be shocked if Swahili or Xhosa is one of the translated languages.) There is no test for the IDP -- you simply go to your local automobile club, pay a bunch of money and give them a passport photo, and they give you the IDP on the spot.

Selwyn_Davidowitz

Rizzuto,

I think you could be wrong and furthermore I think you could also be mixing this up with someone in SA obtaining and IDP to obtain a driving permit in another country outside of SA.

To my knowledge there is absolutely no money that goes to authorities and may I remind you that an IDP is attained in a foreign country, not SA. Read the clause: &quot;Licences will NOT be issued to foreign visitors upon arrival in this country&quot;. Furthermore you have forgotten one very important item that you have to show when you obtain an IDP no matter where you are applying and that is that is you need to show your drivers license.

Just my twopence worth.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

Gritty

No offense, Selwyn, but from my understanding, in the U.S. it is commonplace to go to the American Automobile Association (AAA) to get an IDP. The people who actually issue our home drivers licenses have nothing to do with the process of getting an IDP. Last time I looked (2 yrs. ago) it was $10 to get one. I looked into it before my visit to South Africa at that time, and found out that it wasn't needed then. There does not seem to be any test involved--smells fishy to me, too. In my humble opinion, it seems silly that an English-speaking country should require such a thing if one's home drivers license is in English. Maybe I'm just missing something.

I'm glad you posted this updated information. Would you happen to know what the penalties are for NOT having an IDP while you drive in SA?

Selwyn_Davidowitz

Gritty,

All that I am saying is that the AA in America have nothing to feed back moneywise to SA authorities for verifying licenses. I also agree that the rule is quite stupid however I have no idea as to how many foreigners could be driving on SA soil with false licenses and this could well be why the rule has been introduced. May I just add that I think it just as stupid that I as a SA citizen need to pay for a visa to visit the USA while a USA citizen does not even need a visa to travel to SA at all let alone pay for one. ALL governments are funny with some rules and I suppose we have no option but to obide. Anyway rules are rules and all I was trying to highlight was this sudden change for all Fodorites to know about when driving in SA.

In terms of fines or penalties I have no idea as to what these would be. What would worry me most of all would not be the fines or penalties but whether ones insurance will cover you in the case of an accident seeing that you are technically driving in an unlicensed manner. This would be my biggest worry and hence my advice is for vsistors to SA who intend driving to pay the $10 IDP registration and stay on the right side of the law.

Just my twopence worth.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

cary999

The following I believe is closer to the actual law regarding this.

If your drivers licence is in any of South Africa's 11 official languages (i.e. English) and it contains a photo and your signature integrated into the licence document, then it is legally acceptable as a valid drivers licence in South Africa.

Is this not the law? Has it been changed? And no, I would not regard the tourguide association an authority on this. They, like I think some car rental companies, Budget Rent-a-Car, are simply trying to make life simpler for themselves by using the IDP excuse.

regards - tom

DonTopaz

Hi Selwyn,

I don't think that I am mixing up anything. I understand exactly how IDPs are issued. I also understand that IDPs are issued by national automobile clubs.

If the story that you reported is in fact true, then I would expect that the SA auto association has encouraged it. Although they would not directly benefit by foreigners purchasing IDPs, the publicity might surely encourage S AFricans who travel abroad to purchase IDPs, even though the IDPs are almost always an unnecessary waste of money.

I'm not sure what the source is for your info about increased enforcement, Selwyn, but if it's nothing more than a report in a newspaper quoting some mid-level government functionary, I'll side with cary999/tom and be more than a little skeptical.

sandi

There was a thread on this subject back about 2/months.

As I recall in summary, and assuming visitors from English speaking countries, if the tourists license wasn't in English (an official language in SA) then an IDP would be required.

CarlaM

Was just reading this the other day:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35054170

Marking for future reference.

Welcome back Tom! See any lion cubs

thit_cho

Selwyn, thank you for pointing this out. I have rented a car on two of my three trips to South Africa, and I will need to secure this permit before my next (as yet, unscheduled) trip. But, this is very useful information.

Michael

Selwyn_Davidowitz

At this stage my only source to the information about international drivers licenses comes via the monthly reports that the Cape Tourguide Association (CTGA) sends out to its members. I cant qualify anything that they say other than in my 10 years of being in the association I have not seen them put a foot wrong with these type of reports. Furthermore when I see a report equivalent to the published one and I think it is important to Fodorites I will go as far as publishing as well as putting the header to the thread in <b>BOLD</b> letters on the Fodors page.

I have been told (I want to stress that I have not verified this) that the story about it being acceptable to have a sealed license that is written in English with photo is true or should I say has been true since 1998. It was then that the traffic departments relaxed the enforcing of the law which said that foreign drivers needed this license AS WELL AS an IDP when driving in SA. For reasons I cant explain the enforcing of the law to ALSO have to carry an IDP was dropped in 1998. Now this law is being enforced once again. Why I don’t know but if you really want to know have a shot at asking the local traffic department in Cape Town.

The following is taken from the arrive Alive Campaign website which is a SA government based initiative found at http://www.arrivealive.co.za/pages.a...ice_Foreigners

&quot;An International Driver's Permit carried in conjunction with your national driving license is recommended and must be printed or authenticated in English.&quot;

My feeling is that I trust the CTGA implicitly and if you dont want to take heed of their warning be my guest; if you want to do so that also is your decision. What I cant understand is that when a highly respected local governing body for tourguides, who do not operate for gain and only operate to help visitors to Cape Town or South Africa via their tourguide membership make a statement such as the one that I have published, there are folk who think that someone else is behind the deal to make a buck or two. I am not even going to answer these skeptics because in my opinion the CTGA is beyond reproach when it comes to their many years of existence as well as their professionalism. Furthermore Budget Rent A Car or any other car hire company is going to hate this &quot;new” rule that has now been reinstated as they will have to probably turn away business if not waste many man hours explaining the relevant problem to their clients.

One really has to ask oneself whether it is worth the risk of lets say possibly losing ones insurances when in a car accident for not spending $10 especially after you had been warned about this? Simply put for a $10 IDP purchase you most certainly will have your track covered in case of an accident or whatever else can happen in your hired car or while you are driving in SA.. On the other hand for the saving of $10 and possibly some time to buy an IDP, heaven alone knows what trouble you can land in if a traffic officer pulls you over on the road or heaven forbid you are in a car accident.

Finally the intention of my thread on Fodors was to forewarn the readers in the forum who are travelling to South Africa about something that is happening that most travelers who drive in SA are seemingly not aware of only because this is a recent development. Being a member of the CTGA I was privy to this info and felt that it was important for Fodorites to hear about this from someone on the ground so to speak.

Needless to say if more information comes to hand on this subject I will publish it accordingly.

Hope the above helps.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

tuckeg

I remember seeing similarly worded warnings in 2004. I had a father's (same name) 1938 South African drivers license and carried that as well as my USA one. Figured if I ran into problems (I didn't), I'd flash the 1938 license and ask them to go easy on me as I had been driving for a long time.

Selwyn_Davidowitz

Tuckeg,



Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

ArthurSA

This is very strange. (BTW I haven't read this thread fully, mostly only Selwyn's OP.)

Far be it for me to question experienced tourguide associations. Or car hire companies, at least one of those has been quoted as saying something similar. But I have yet to find any Government or &quot;Traffic Department&quot;(which?) regulations that contradict the National Road Traffic Act.

Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't such official (and enforceable) regulations. I would just love to be able to quote &quot;chapter and verse&quot;.

There is another current thread on this, and I'll copy and paste something I posted there. While stressing that I'm not an expert in any sense, and all I've done is search for info online:

The National Road Traffic Act of 1996 said that any country's driving licence was legal in S.A. for its duration. No mention of language or even alphabet, or requiring a photo.

But I also found a more recent amendment from 1999. (Not 1998.) To summarise first. If your &quot;foreign&quot; licence is not in English and doesn't have your photo and signature, then (but only then) it seems that you need an Int. Driving Permit. Except that an attached &quot;certified&quot; translation is permitted as an alternative to English.

If you want to check the detail, the document is http://www.transport.gov.za/library/...9/roadregs.pdf.

Pages 74/75 of that doc say
1. A licence needs to be in an official language of the Republic. (We have 11! One of which is English.)
or
2. There is an &quot;authenticated&quot; translation attached.
and
3. &quot;such licence contains or has attached to it, a photograph and the signature of the licence holder&quot;

It then goes on to say (as previously) that an Int. Driving Permit can be an alternative to the above.

Selwyn_Davidowitz

ArthurSA

What you have written all makes sense however there seems to be a lot of, typical to South Africa, &quot;unwritten&quot; rulings such as the DriveAlive page (quasi government) that I published earlier on in this thread.

Via the website that you have published the one ruling that sticks out without any contradiction is:

Subject to subregulation (3), an international driving permit referred to in section 23(1)(b) of the Act
shall be deemed to be a valid licence for the purposes of Chapter IV of the Act for the period for, and, subject
to the conditions under which it was issued.

With that said my feelings are why even debate this in this forum, let alone debate this with a traffic officer on the side of the road (an argument that you are definitely going to lose) when all that one needs to do is obtain an international drivers license in ones own country for what it seems is a figure of about US$10-15 and then know that immatterial of all you will be on the right side of the law. Its as simple as that!

Just my twopence worth.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

ArthurSA

Selwyn, &quot;an argument that you are definitely going to lose&quot;. There's no debate about that! Unfortunately. And I suppose the traditional way some solve most kinds of traffic cop problems in S.A. (although highly undesirable and definitely not recommended) is probably at least equal to the cost of an IDP.

But for my own occasional travels in the other direction, I'll continue to use my normal drivers licence and regard the local AA-issued IDP as simply a revenue stream for the AA. Cynic that I am! And one less thing on my list of things to do, which is far more important to me than the cost.

But as a matter of curiosity, did the Association quote any particular traffic department?

cary999

ArthurSA - agree with you 100%
regards - tom

Selwyn_Davidowitz

ArthurSA,

The CTGA did not quote any traffic department so I dont know who they were referring to.

In principle I recognise where you are coming from but having being stopped in the past on the road by traffic officers in two countries (USA and Croatia ) I felt super confident that I was on the right side of the track when I produced my South African AA attained IDP. Cant remember what these licenses cost at the time but no matter what the cost of they were worth the peace of mind I had while travelling through these countries or for that amtter wherever I have travelled and driven vehicles. Furthermore if the SA AA got the revenue then good for them because they certainly have saved my bacon while on SA roads on more than one occasion. I suppose it simply is a case of horses for courses and to each his own way of doing things.

Just my twopence worth.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

GrannyJoan

Tom, Welcome back. See you didn't loose your boyish charm while in SA. Glad you had a great time at MM and saw the lions! We are headed out next week on road trip and may head to California. Haven't totally decided ... Canada or California? Cold or Warm weather?

Any good spots to check out in California for game viewing? Do we need special driver's permit for California highways? Is the Monterey Aquarium worth seeing?

Thanks.


-Granny Joan

CarlaM

Hi GJ,

Will you possibly be in So Cal? Send me an email if you are. Also see www.wildcatzoo.org

I just discovered this yesterday and plan on a visit very soon. Maybe we can meet up there.

There is also a huge blue whale migration going on along the Pacific coast right now if you are interested.