Compare on price
Compare car hire companies in South Africa
By CarRentalZA editorial team · 8 min read · Updated 29 September 2026
- Zeda Limited
- Operates Avis and Budget in Southern Africa
- Motus Group
- Operates Europcar and Tempest
- Hertz group
- Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar under one South African banner
- CMH
- Owns First Car Rental
- Renamed brand
- Bidvest Car Rental now trades as BLUU
- Franchise brands
- SIXT operates here as SANI SIXT; U-Save is a franchise network
There are fewer independent car hire companies in South Africa than the brand names suggest, because several of the best-known badges are run by the same operators: Avis and Budget both belong to Zeda, Europcar and Tempest both belong to Motus, and Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar now run under one local banner. Knowing that changes how you compare quotes.
This page maps who is who, sets out what actually differentiates them, and gives you a method for picking that works better than reading reviews.
Discover Cars' national daily rates on 29 September 2026: from about R202 a day for a small manual hatchback, around R271 a day for an average mid-range car and from about R837 a day at the premium end. These are indicative national figures, not quotes, and they move with season, branch, rental length and how far ahead you book.
Who owns which brand
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Avis and Budget | Both operated in Southern Africa by Zeda Limited, a JSE-listed company |
| Europcar and Tempest | Both in the vehicle rental division of the Motus Group |
| Hertz, Thrifty and Dollar | Now trading under one South African operation within the Hertz group |
| First Car Rental | Wholly owned by Combined Motor Holdings, a JSE-listed group |
| BLUU | Formerly Bidvest Car Rental, rebranded in 2021 after an ownership change |
| Woodford | Independent South African brand, one of the largest local operators |
| SANI SIXT | SIXT operated in South Africa by a local franchise partner |
| U-Save | International franchise network with South African locations |
| Pace | South African operator, with rent to own alongside standard rental |
| Around About Cars and Rent A Cheapie | Independent operators aimed at self-drive travellers and budget renters |
The practical use of this table is pairing. If a brand quotes high on your dates, quote its stablemate before moving to a different operator, because the fleet and the operational spine are shared.
National brand versus franchise network
This distinction decides who is accountable when something goes wrong.
A national brand under single ownership, such as Avis, Woodford, First, Europcar, Tempest, BLUU or Pace, sets terms centrally. Your booking, deposit and any damage dispute sit with one company, and a problem in one city can be escalated nationally.
A franchise network, such as SANI SIXT for the SIXT brand or U-Save, licenses the badge to local operators who set their own deposit, excess, kilometre and after-hours terms within a framework. That can be more flexible and cheaper, and it means the terms you read for one location may not apply at another.
Neither model is better. Franchise terms simply need reading, per location, in writing.
What actually differentiates them
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Airport reach | The national brands hold desks at every major airport; independents often use delivery or a transfer instead |
| Off-airport network | Avis has unusually deep downtown and suburban coverage; First reaches business districts well |
| One-way capability | Requires a branch network. National operators do it; single-base independents cannot |
| Cross-border | Needs written authorisation and a permitted group. Operators with regional presence handle it more easily |
| Fleet breadth | Bakkies, vans, trucks and 4x4s are not carried by every brand; Pace and the value franchises go widest |
| Price position | Value badges and independents undercut the premium brands, mostly by trading kilometres, excess or fleet age |
A method that beats reading reviews
Rental reviews are dominated by two extremes: people who had a damage dispute and people who had a free upgrade. Neither predicts your rental. Use this instead.
First, decide what your trip actually needs. One-way drop, cross-border, a bakkie, a late-night airport collection, a long term. Each of those eliminates operators.
Second, quote three that survive the filter: a national brand, its value stablemate and one independent.
Third, compare on total cost including kilometre policy, excess in rand, deposit hold, additional driver fee, fuel policy and any location surcharge. Not on the daily rate.
Fourth, take the cheapest total that meets the requirements from step one.
What it costs, as a sanity check
Discover Cars' national daily rates on 29 September 2026: from about R202 a day for a small manual hatchback, around R271 a day for an average mid-range car, and from about R837 a day at the premium end.
These are indicative national figures rather than quotes from any operator. Use them to recognise when a quote is out of line, in either direction. A rate far below the small-car figure usually carries a kilometre cap or a large excess, and a rate far above the average usually reflects peak season, an airport surcharge or a short rental.
Choosing by trip type
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Week in one city, cheapest possible | Value operator or independent, collected off-airport, booked early |
| Fly in, drive out the same hour | National brand with an airport desk; check the location surcharge |
| One-way road trip between provinces | National operator with a branch network; get the one-way fee up front |
| Cross-border into Namibia or Botswana | Operator with regional presence; arrange written authorisation at booking |
| Moving furniture | Bakkie, van or truck from a commercial fleet or a specialist hire firm |
| Long term, months rather than days | Ask for a monthly product rather than stacking daily rates |
| Luxury or an event | National brand with a deep premium fleet; check the age and deposit rules first |
Frequently asked questions
Which car hire company is best in South Africa?
There is no single best one. The right operator depends on whether you need an airport desk, a one-way drop, cross-border authorisation, a commercial vehicle or simply the lowest price. Decide the requirement first, then quote three operators that meet it.
Are Avis and Budget the same company?
They are separate brands run by the same operator, Zeda Limited, in Southern Africa. Avis is the premium badge and Budget the value one, off shared infrastructure. If one quotes high on your dates, quote the other before switching operator.
Are Europcar and Tempest related?
Yes, both sit in the vehicle rental division of the Motus Group. Europcar carries the international badge and Tempest the value positioning, which makes them the easiest pair in the country to price against each other.
Is Thrifty the same as Hertz in South Africa?
Hertz owns Thrifty and Dollar globally, and in South Africa the three now trade under one local banner. Thrifty is generally the lower price point off the same operation, so quote it before booking Hertz at the full rate.
What happened to Bidvest Car Rental?
Bidvest Car Rental was rebranded to BLUU Car Rental in September 2021 after the business was acquired by the Thesele consortium. The branches, fleet and staff carried over, so it is the same operation under a new name.
What is the difference between a national brand and a franchise?
A national brand sets terms centrally, so your deposit, booking and any dispute sit with one accountable company. A franchise licenses the badge to local operators who set their own deposit, excess and after-hours terms, which need reading per location.
How many quotes should I get for car hire?
Three, for the same vehicle group and dates: a national brand, its value stablemate and one independent. Compare totals including kilometre policy, excess, deposit, additional driver fee, fuel policy and any location surcharge, not the daily rate.
Which operators can do one-way rentals?
One-way needs a branch network, so the national operators handle it and single-base independents generally cannot. The fee scales with how far the vehicle has to be repositioned, so ask for it before you plan the route around it.
