Renting a car is straightforward until something goes wrong with the vehicle, at which point the difference between the excess you accepted and the excess you thought you had accepted becomes a large amount of money.
This page sets out what is required to rent, and in more detail how the insurance, excess and deposit actually work.
Property Requirements at a Glance
What car rental generally requires.
- A driver aged 21 or older in most cases, with a young driver surcharge below a stated age
- A valid driving licence held for a minimum period the company specifies
- An International Driving Permit or a licence in English, for many foreign licences
- A credit card in the main driver’s own name for the deposit
- A valid ID or passport
- A deposit or pre-authorisation held on the card
- Acceptance of the rental agreement and the insurance terms
- Every additional driver named on the agreement
- Written authorisation for cross-border travel, where applicable
Eligibility and Financial Requirements
The credit card requirement catches people out. Most companies require a credit card in the main driver’s name for the security deposit, and a debit card is often not accepted or is accepted only with a much larger deposit. Confirm before you arrive, especially at an airport late at night.
The deposit is a pre-authorisation, not a charge, but it reduces your available credit for the rental period and for some days afterwards. Budget for that if the card is also your travel card.
Understand the excess before you drive off. Standard rental includes cover with an excess — the amount you pay yourself if the vehicle is damaged or stolen. That excess is frequently large. A super cover or excess waiver reduces it to a smaller amount or to nothing, at a daily cost.
Waivers have exclusions. Damage to tyres, windscreen, undercarriage and the roof is commonly excluded from the standard cover and sometimes from the waiver too. Water damage, driving on unsuitable roads and single-vehicle rollovers are frequent exclusions. Ask specifically what is excluded and get it in writing.
Your own insurance or credit card may already cover it. Some vehicle policies and some credit cards include rental excess cover. Check before paying for a waiver you already have — and get the confirmation in writing, because a verbal assurance is worth nothing in a dispute.
Every driver must be named. An unnamed driver at the wheel generally voids the cover completely, which turns a minor collision into the full value of the vehicle.
Documents and Verification Required
What to bring.
- Your valid driving licence, and the same for every additional driver
- An International Driving Permit, where your licence is not in English
- Your South African ID or passport
- A credit card in the main driver’s name, with sufficient available limit
- The booking confirmation and any voucher
- Proof of address, where the company requires it
- A return flight itinerary, for some airport rentals
- Written cross-border authorisation, arranged in advance
- Confirmation of any excess cover you hold independently
Property, Compliance or Technical Requirements
Inspect the vehicle before you leave and photograph everything. Walk around it with the agent, note every scratch, dent, chip and mark on the condition form, and take dated photographs and a video including the wheels, windscreen, roof and interior. This five-minute habit is what prevents being charged for pre-existing damage.
Check the fuel level and the fuel policy. Full-to-full is usually cheapest. Prepaid fuel almost never is, because unused fuel is not refunded.
Check the tyres, including the spare, and confirm there is a jack and a wheel spanner. Tyre damage is a common exclusion and a flat on a rural road at night is a bad time to discover the spare is missing.
Confirm what breakdown assistance is included and get the number. Ask specifically what happens if the vehicle fails far from a branch.
Cross-border travel needs prior written authorisation and usually a fee, and the vehicle needs the documentation the destination requires. Turning up at a border without the letter means turning around.
Photograph the vehicle again at return, with the fuel gauge and the odometer, and get a signed return condition form. Charges appearing weeks later are disputed with those photographs.
Never leave documents or valuables in the vehicle, and follow ordinary safety practice on South African roads — doors locked, bags out of sight, and fuel stops at busy stations.
Application, Registration or Approval Process
Book in advance and read the terms rather than accepting them at the counter under time pressure. The counter is where expensive extras are sold.
Compare the total cost — daily rate, waiver, additional driver fee, young driver surcharge, one-way fee, airport surcharge and delivery. The headline daily rate is rarely the cost.
Get the excess figure in writing for both the standard cover and any waiver, along with the exclusions.
Ask about the mileage limit. Unlimited kilometres is not universal, and the per-kilometre charge beyond a limit adds up quickly on a long trip.
Your rights are protected. Under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 you are entitled to services of a reasonable quality and to plain and understandable terms, and unfair or unreasonable contract terms can be challenged.
Dispute charges in writing, with your photographs attached, and escalate to the company’s complaints process. The National Consumer Commission and the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud handle unresolved complaints free of charge.
Report an accident to the police as required and get a case number, and notify the rental company immediately. Failing to report can void the cover entirely.
Never rent on someone else’s card or licence, and never let an unnamed person drive. Both void the cover and leave you liable for the vehicle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a credit card?
Usually yes, in the main driver’s own name, for the security deposit. Debit cards are often not accepted or require a much larger deposit. Confirm before you arrive.
What is the excess?
The amount you pay yourself if the vehicle is damaged or stolen. It is frequently large. A waiver reduces it at a daily cost, but waivers have exclusions — commonly tyres, windscreen, undercarriage and roof.
How do I avoid being charged for existing damage?
Inspect with the agent, record every mark on the condition form, and take dated photographs and video of the whole vehicle including wheels and roof, before and after.
Can I drive into another country?
Only with prior written cross-border authorisation from the rental company, usually for a fee, plus the documentation the destination requires. Without the letter you will be turned back.
Age limits, deposit and card requirements, excess amounts, waiver terms and cross-border rules are set by each rental company and are revised. Confirm current terms in writing with the company before collecting the vehicle.