South Africa driving
 

It’s our first trip to South Africa. We are going from Pretoria to Graskop. How are the roads for driving? Our plan is to rent a car for the 5 days round trip. What do you think? We’re not used to drive on the left side. Best regards Jesper

I’ve only been to the Western Cape where roads are quite good, but found a forum with replies for that region:

https://www.4x4community.co.za/forum...p-Pilgrimsrest

The general rule for travelling in rural areas in Africa is to never drive after dark, because in addition to huge potholes (I’ve encountered some in Tanzania) that you wouldn’t see in the dark, there are people and domestic livestock walking along the roads.

Driving on the left isn’t as big a problem as you might imagine, but you can’t let your mind wander. There was a case in England a couple of years ago where a young mother absentmindedly drove on the right as she was leaving an American air base, and further along the road collided with a motorbike coming the other way.

I've driven thousands of kilometers in SA and can honestly say I haven't encountered more courteous drivers in any of the many countries I've visited. While of course there are exceptions, most of the main roads I drove were in excellent shape. I've driven between Pretoria and Graskop (one of our fave places) several times and never encountered any difficulties. Much of the drive is on freeway (some tolled, some not) and on four-lane roads; a couple of rural roads close to the Panorama Route (Pilgrim's Rest, Graskop etc.) can have potholes, so mind your speed and stay alert and you'll be fine.

So that you're not distracted by driving on the left and changing gears, I'd get a car with an automatic transmission. I also found that getting a small SUV was useful in that the higher seating position improved visibility. One good thing about South African drivers is that if you blink your headlights when you're about to pass, they'll all immediately move to the shoulder (typically these are quite wide) so you don't have to get completely into the oncoming lanes. You then switch on and off your headlights (so the taillights blink) in thanks. Pretty universal.

Watch out for minibuses all over the country. These are rideshares and will stop pretty much anywhere to board or discharge passengers. Be careful when passing, and also be mindful that you'll encounter a LOT of pedestrians all over the country; likewise be careful of livestock in very rural areas.

Use Google Maps' "street view" to preview your route, e.g. https://maps.app.goo.gl/jKUQ5hqdW36kpNXL7

You'll have a great time. Oh and two words for Graskop - Harrie's Pancakes.

Thank you so much for your help and advices😊👍