South Africa Travel Costs

Sofronio Cobos

Updated: 26 May 2026 ·
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South Africa Travel Costs: The Cost of a Road Trip (Prices, Rental Cars, National Parks, Activities

Several trips have taken me to South Africa in recent years. Whether for one, two, or four weeks, I frequently receive questions about how much a self-drive trip to South Africa costs, so I've listed my expenses and costs from the journeys.

Our Travel Costs in South Africa

Here are the answers to the following questions:

  • What does a rental car cost?
  • What is the cost of accommodation in cities and national parks?
  • What activities can you do?
  • What do excursions cost?

On our first trip, we traveled mostly independently by rental car for nearly four weeks. We spent several consecutive days in Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula, as well as the West Coast National Park at the beginning of our trip. We only picked up the rental car at the airport in Johannesburg. From there, we took the Panorama Route, continuing to Kruger National Park, Eswatini (Swaziland), St. Lucia, Hluhluwe National Park, and then to Durban. From Durban, we flew to Port Elizabeth to rent another car for the return journey along the Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town.

We traveled from the beginning of December to Christmas Eve (return flight on the 24th). Therefore, we were already traveling during peak season, where prices are higher than in the off-season (read here for all the information about the best travel time for South Africa, with details on peak and off-peak seasons).

Here is a summary of all expenses, which I update regularly as the prices for national parks are increasing.

Our way of traveling:

  • Renting a car instead of taking a bus, allowing you to stop anywhere and drive through Kruger National Park at your own pace.
  • Private apartments and hotels instead of hostels and shared rooms (we only stayed in a hostel once, but in a private double room with ensuite bathroom)
  • Glamping, camping, and luxurious game lodges for the ultimate safari experience. You can get even closer with Eco Training (my favorite).
  • Special activities like a helicopter tour are a MUST for us in Cape Town.
  • Direct flights instead of indirect flights (environmental reasons!) - for this described trip, a flight via Johannesburg is suitable.

While traveling, I don't skimp; I want to experience as much as possible. Therefore, I do much more than the average tourist, or at least that's what my friends say.

I'm sharing my overview of average costs so you have a rough idea of how expensive a trip to South Africa can be.

⚠️ This cost summary serves as a guideline. We spent significantly more when visiting a private game reserve than you probably will. A trip through South Africa can always be done more cheaply; we love extraordinary experiences and do not want to skimp on those.

Information on Prices in South Africa

  • Entry fees for national parks, safaris (game drives), and accommodations are cheaper than in Botswana and sometimes even Namibia.
  • The costs of the trip depend on what you want to see. What excursions are you planning? Will you book domestic flights or will you drive everywhere with a rental car?
  • Do you enjoy dining in restaurants, or do you prefer cooking for yourself?
  • Is your trip limited to Cape Town, the Garden Route, and the West Coast? If so, the trip will be cheaper than if you venture into nature and to the wildlife that I love!
  • In the Kruger National Park, Hluhluwe National Park, and the private game reserves around it, one can spend quite a bit of money if they choose to. And I wanted just that. Because it's a different experience from a zoo. Away from the crowds and deep into nature.

All information for regions and cities:

  • Garden Route
  • Cape Town Attractions|Tips Before Your Cape Town Trip (Planning) | Excursions in Cape Town and Surroundings
  • Cape Peninsula and Cape of Good Hope
  • Panorama Route with Blyde River Canyon
  • Kruger National Park
  • Johannesburg
  • Northern Cape with Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Augrabies Falls, and Namaqualand
  • Western Cape Road Trip from Cape Town (including Paternoster and Langebaan)
  • Swaziland
  • Addo Elephant National Park
  • Tsitsikamma National Park
  • Hermanus
  • Swellendam
  • Durban

Entry and Visa

With a German passport, you do not need an expensive visa for South Africa. You can stay in the country for 90 days on a tourist visa.

Costs: None

Flights

We prefer to book a direct flight. They are available from Munich and Frankfurt to Johannesburg (South African Airways and Lufthansa) or to Cape Town (Condor, Lufthansa also in winter).

Flights to Cape Town typically cost around €500 - €800 depending on the travel season. During Christmas, it can be at least double that. Lufthansa is almost always twice as expensive as Condor or Eurowings.

Flights to Johannesburg are generally cheaper. For flights with layovers (e.g., Air Namibia via Windhoek), you waste time but save money. I advise against this.

I always book and search for my flights through the Kaya flight search engine.

Flight costs from late November to December 24:

  • Flights from Frankfurt - Johannesburg - Cape Town (outbound, return from Johannesburg): €600
  • Direct flight from Frankfurt to Cape Town (Lufthansa): €1075 (booking in January 2024 for March)

Since we frequently receive emails with questions about the costs of a trip to South Africa, I have created this list. It makes orientation easier, and you get a sense of how much budget you need to plan for your vacation.

In 2025, the best credit cards for South Africa are the DKB Bank debit card, the awa7 credit card, and the C24 smart Mastercard. With these cards, you can withdraw money from ATMs for free and pay on site without foreign transaction fees in local currencies! All cards allow contactless payment as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Here you can find all tips for the best travel credit card for South Africa 2024 with comparisons.

Domestic Flights

In South Africa, domestic flights are sometimes suitable, as distances are often underestimated. Popular routes include Cape Town - Johannesburg, Cape Town - Upington (North), Johannesburg - Hoedspruit (Kruger National Park), and Durban - Port Elizabeth or Cape Town.

Be aware that with multi-stop flights and returning your rental car at different locations, you often have to pay a one-way rental fee.

  • Flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg with Mango: €64
  • Flight from Durban to Port Elizabeth with British Airways: €78
  • Flight from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg with South African Airways: €150 (CemAir offers a cheaper alternative, but flights often have delays or are canceled)
  • Flight from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth with FlySafair: €80 (peak season New Year to March; otherwise cheaper)

Transportation

In general, we use Uber instead of regular taxis in South Africa. This not only saves you discussions about the price but is also cheaper.

Rides within Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg usually cost very little. In Maboneng (Johannesburg), we were even advised to take an Uber for short distances. For very short trips, we always paid between €1 - €5. So, it's almost negligible for your travel budget.

Rental Cars, Gas, and One-Way Rentals

The best way to explore South Africa is by rental car. Only then are you truly flexible and can reach places and travel destinations that buses do not easily access.

We always book rental cars in Germany before the trip. I always use price comparison sites like Sunny Cars, billiger-mietwagen or Check24. We mostly book with Sunny Cars, as this portal includes the additional driver for free.

When we had a flat tire in the Kalahari, we were glad to speak with support in German. The costs for the new tire were quickly transferred to us by Sunny Cars. Therefore, I can highly recommend this provider.

LOOKING FOR A RENTAL CAR? For searching for a rental car, we recommend the platform check24 or Billiger Mietwagen. I also compare prices with Sunny Cars. -> Find tips for booking a rental car here. -> Don't have a credit card? Then read here how to rent a car without a credit card.

Advantages of Sunny Cars:

  • Best price-performance package
  • Additional driver included
  • Unlimited kilometers
  • Often includes GPS or Carplay in the car
  • Sometimes the one-way fee is waived
  • Important insurances included
photo by viel-unterwegs.de
Rental car in South Africa Garden Route
photo by viel-unterwegs.de
driving-in-south-africa-tips-1
photo by viel-unterwegs.de
Panorama Route as a self-driver.
photo by viel-unterwegs.de

If you want to go on safari like we do, I always recommend an SUV or at least a mid-size car. This way, you sit up higher and can see animals better. When you're facing an elephant (with your car), a larger vehicle is certainly better than a compact car. It will have more respect and turn away.

  • Rental from Johannesburg to Durban, 12 days: €554 (I unfortunately can't find the one-way rental cost anymore)
  • Rental from Johannesburg to Hoedspruit, 7 days: €374 + one-way fee of about €32
  • Rental from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, 7 days: €312 + one-way fee of about €62
  • Rental (SUV) from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth (Tiguan), 9 days: €444 + one-way fee of €70
  • Rental (small SUV) from Cape Town for 28 days: €722
  • Rental in Cape Town: 5 days: €206

Accommodations

The costs of our booked accommodations could not be more varied. Sometimes we had simple rest camps (recommendation in national parks), hotels, bed & breakfasts, a cheap Airbnb apartment for five, a luxurious all-inclusive lodge in a private game reserve, or even stayed in hostels in South Africa. Generally, you can spend the most money or save the most when it comes to accommodations.

Accommodations in Cape Town

Great apartment to rent in Cape Town
Great apartment to rent in Cape Town photo by viel-unterwegs.de

In Cape Town, I have stayed in several accommodations, including both hotels and Airbnb apartments. Here you can find my detailed article with hotel tips and accommodations in Cape Town.

Accommodations in the Winelands

Accommodations Along the Garden Route

Accommodations in the Western Cape

Accommodations in Johannesburg / Soweto

In Johannesburg, I stayed in a hotel. In Soweto, I stayed at a backpackers lodge amidst the locals.

  • Hallmark House, Maboneng (Johannesburg): double room with breakfast: €52/night
  • Lebo's Soweto Backpackers (Soweto): double room with breakfast: €33/night

Accommodations in Private Game Reserves, Kruger National Park (from expensive to very expensive)

  • Angela's Safari Camp (Klaserie Private Nature Reserve): €695/night (the camp is rented privately, meaning no other guests are present. Ideal for groups with 4 x 2 occupancy). Game drives, meals, and drinks are included.
  • RockFig Safari Lodge (Timbavati Private Nature Reserve): €774/night for the whole lodge (8 people, self-catering)
  • Earth Lodge (Sabi Sands): Package for 4 nights per person: €3069. This includes flights to and from Skukuza Airport from Johannesburg or Cape Town. Also included are morning and evening game drives with a private ranger, walking safari, all meals, and alcoholic beverages.
  • Plains Camp (Rhino Walking Safaris): €386 for 2 nights. This includes the transfer to the glamping camp in the middle of nature. One night glamping (luxury camping) and one night in a treehouse, with game drive, walking safaris, and meals.

Accommodations on the Panorama Route

  • Valley View Backpackers (Graskop): 1 night for 2 people: €25 (I do not recommend this accommodation)
  • Blyde River A Forever Resort (directly at Blyde River Canyon): Chalet for 2 people: €75/night

Accommodations in Hluhluwe National Park

  • Hilltop Camp, Chalet for 4 people (self-catering): €210/night for 4 people

Accommodations in St. Lucia

  • AmaZulu Lodge: double room with breakfast: €101/night

Accommodations in Durban

  • The Concierge Boutique Bungalows: double room with breakfast: €99/night

LOOKING FOR A HOTEL? For finding a good hotel, we recommend the platform Booking.com. We always book our accommodations on this platform or directly through American Express, as we receive additional discounts with the American Express Platinum credit card (read here for details; it only pays off for frequent travelers).

SIM Card & Internet

If you want to stay online while on vacation, I recommend buying a SIM card for South Africa. WiFi in accommodations or public hotspots is really slow.

The best provider is Vodafone. I buy the SIM card directly upon arrival in Johannesburg or Cape Town. Read all information about SIM cards in South Africa and my clear recommendation here.

Cost for SIM card with data: €37.70 (the price has only increased slightly in the last 5 years).

For visits to remote areas (Northern Cape, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, and Kruger National Park), MTN has better reception.

We like to use Airalo, as we can conveniently order data volume via app and immediately go online using eSIM. With the code VU10, you get 10% off all eSIM packages. Sometimes Maya has great offers that you should check out.

Excursions, Entry Fees, Tours, and Activities in South Africa

I can recommend all of these excursions. We enjoy extraordinary experiences and do not skimp on them. Here is a listing of prices and entry fees at viewpoints, national parks, and hikes. In Cape Town, we have treated ourselves to an expensive helicopter tour multiple times.

Cape Town:

  • Table Mountain Cableway (Return): 277 Rand (Winter, about €16) and €18 in Summer (Buy tickets)
  • Abseil Africa (Abseiling from Table Mountain): €60
  • Helicopter flight (I have done 3) - from €65 - €260 per person with NAC Helicopters (depending on how many people are going). With Airbnb Experiences, it is even possible without doors. Tour to Cape Point: €300 per person, which is very cheap.
  • Robben Island - Township Tour Combo Ticket: €80.50
  • Bike tour through Cape Town (book here): €55
  • Bike tour through Township Kayelitsha: €35
  • Kirstenbosch Gardens: about €4.10
  • Cape Point National Park/Cape of Good Hope: 147 Rand per person; about €8.60 (free with Wild Card)
  • Single ride on the Flying Dutchman cog railway: 45 Rand, about €2.60
  • Chapman's Peak Drive: €2.80 (per passage)
  • Penguins at Boulder's Beach: Parking 50 Rand (€3.20), entry 75 Rand (€4.80). Free for Wild Card holders (by the way, in winter - August - it cost nothing to park in the parking lot)

Johannesburg

  • 2-hour graffiti tour with Past Experiences (170 Rand)
  • 4-hour Soweto bike tour (as a guest at Soweto Backpackers: 540 Rand)
  • Entry to apartheid museum (Everything about the history of segregation and Nelson Mandela)
  • Visit to a traditional healer: 100 Rand per person + 50 Rand to "call" ancestors
  • Soweto Towers with elevator to the top: 80 Rand

See all Johannesburg tips & worthwhile places here

Panorama Route

Entry fees for some viewpoints cost money if you don't stay overnight (Three Rondavels, we stayed in the lodge. Very basic accommodation but good for self-catering). The entry or parking fees for the viewpoints cost a total of €15. See all tips for Blyde River Canyon and Panorama Route here.

National Park Entry Fees (without Wild Card)

  • iSimangaliso Wetland Park: Adult R28 (€1.50) + Car R29 (€2)
  • Kruger National Park: R440 per person/day (5 days): R1,320 (€73)
  • Hluhluwe National Park: R210 per person/day (3 days): R630 (€35)

Food & Drink Costs in South Africa

In many accommodations in national parks, kitchens and grills are available. Therefore, we often enjoyed a braai (what barbecue is called in South Africa).

Eating out varies from very cheap to very expensive. It really depends on your own budget.

A special experience in Cape Town is the Gold Restaurant. Here you can experience the diversity of cuisines from the entire continent in one evening. The multi-course menu, including dances, singing performances, and a drumming workshop (R99) at the beginning is a highlight. Of course, this costs more than a regular meal (R380), but given the experience, it is well worth it. I've even been here twice.

When shopping in supermarkets, prices for food and alcohol are roughly the same as in Germany. In national parks, they are correspondingly more expensive and not everything is available.

The further you are from major cities, the more expensive groceries become.

Other Costs

Tipping

In general, you should tip at least 10%. Whether in restaurants or cafes.

Toll Fees

Some national highways in South Africa require tolls. Around Johannesburg, we had to pay tolls frequently; south and west, the toll stations became less frequent. The amount of the tolls depends on the length and route. We paid between R8 and R71. In total, about €10.

In 2025, the best credit cards for South Africa are the DKB Bank debit card, the awa7 credit card, and the C24 smart Mastercard. With these cards, you can withdraw cash from ATMs for free and pay on site, without foreign transaction fees! All cards enable contactless payments as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Here you can find all tips for the best travel credit card for South Africa 2024 with comparisons.

Total Travel Costs

For my first four-week trip to South Africa, I needed about €4,200 (around €150/day). We also had a very costly accommodation with Sabi Sabi at the Kruger National Park.

On my next trip, I spent about €1,000 for a week around Cape Town without flights from Germany. For the 10 days Johannesburg - Panorama Route - Private Game Reserve Timbavati and Klaserie, I spent about €1,500 per person (excluding flights from Germany). Here, however, we had relatively expensive accommodations in the Private Game Reserves. It can be done cheaper.

We will update this article after our trip in February - March 2024.

Per person, you should budget an average of €100 - €150 per day in South Africa. If you only stay in hostels and travel by bus, it can of course be much cheaper, but that isn't my style of travel.

Conclusion

South Africa is a vast and diverse country that you can easily explore on your own - and should. I love the often unique nature, especially the wildlife, savannas, and the coastal beaches.

You shouldn't overload your to-do list on your first trip. Like us, come back again, just as I've been to this southern country eight times.

Every year, the South African currency (Rand) loses value, but the prices on the ground are increasing. Nevertheless, South Africa is genuinely cheap compared to other countries like Namibia, Botswana, Uganda, or Rwanda.

Especially during the peak travel season in the South African summer (during their summer holidays), it is wise to book accommodations in advance. Particularly in national parks, popular rest camps are often fully booked, and if you want to be spontaneous, you may only find less attractive options left. If you want to be flexible, you can also rent a car with a rooftop tent, since camping spots are available in Kruger and all other national parks.

What were your experiences with travel costs in South Africa?

Leave me a comment; I'm very curious!

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