While most national roads are tarred and in good condition, the more rural the road, the more likely it is to be pot-holed and poorly surfaced. Large antelope crossing the road can be a hazard in certain areas – watch out for the road signs depicting a leaping antelope, and take it slowly, especially towards evening.
We drive on the left-hand side of the road, and our cars – rental cars included – are right-hand drive vehicles. All distances, speed limits (and speedometers) are in kilometers. The general speed limit on national highways, urban freeways and other major routes is 120km/h. On secondary (rural) roads it is 100km/h. In built-up areas it is usually 60km/h unless otherwise indicated. Check the road signs.
Wearing of seat belts is compulsory. The law prohibits the use of hand-held phones while driving but that doesn’t stop most of the locals from using them.
A variety of petrol (gas) stations are situated on both main and country roads. Most of them are open 24 hours a day, although some keep shorter hours. However, distances between towns (and therefore between petrol stations) are considerable in some parts of the country, so it is advisable to fill up your tank before it starts giving warning signals. |
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| National Roads in South Africa |
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