Europcar car hire in South Africa

Europcar's South African business sits inside the Motus rental division, alongside Tempest Car Hire. Europcar is the internationally badged brand and Tempest is the value brand in the same division.

For a renter, that means you can price both for the same dates. Europcar also runs a free loyalty scheme, Drive Club, which gives 10% off rentals and a free upgrade on every third rental, but only on Group T, B and C.

• Europcar SA says it has over 20 000 vehicles across 100 locations and also has branches in Namibia, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho on the same website. (europcar.co.za)
• Ready2GO is a free express check-out service; it needs a credit card loaded on the account and does not apply to bookings paid by debit card. (europcar.co.za)
• Europcar publishes a two-year fee schedule with rand amounts: airport surcharge 13%, young driver R185 a day, additional driver R585, child seat R605 per rental, GPS R154 a day, all valid from 1 Nov 2026 to 31 Oct 2027. (europcar.co.za)
• Vehicles are booked by group; example: Group B hatchbacks include Hyundai i20, Renault Sandero, Polo Vivo and Ford Fiesta. A specific model can be requested but not guaranteed. (europcar.co.za)
• Europcar also rents vans (Van Rental) with branches such as Pomona, Durban and Bloemfontein. (europcar.co.za)

Checked on 29 September 2026 against Europcar's official website. Numbers change, so confirm on the linked page before you call. A rental company will not ask you to pay a deposit into a new bank account by phone or WhatsApp; if anyone does, hang up and call the official number.

Sources: europcar.co.za.

What Europcar's own terms and FAQ pages said on 29 September 2026. Rules differ by vehicle group and branch, so check the terms for your booking.

Countries Europcar lists for cross-border travel: Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Zimbabwe (written pre-approval), Zambia (written pre-approval), Mozambique (written pre-approval) (europcar.co.za).

Europcar lists desks at a long run of airports. They include OR Tambo International, Cape Town International, King Shaka International and Lanseria International, plus Wonderboom for Pretoria. Smaller airports such as Skukuza, Margate and Richards Bay are also on the list. The full list is in the Airport desks row at the top of this page.

Rentals that start at state airports carry a 13% airport surcharge on time and kilometre revenue. A 10% location surcharge applies at Sandton branches, and a 1% tourism levy applies as well. Europcar also rents vans through Van Rental, with branches such as Pomona, Durban and Bloemfontein.

Confirm the current rand amounts with Europcar before booking.

Europcar's FAQ gives a minimum age of 18, but the rental terms also require the licence to have been held for three years. Read the 18 as the entry point and the three years as the real test. Drivers under 23 pay a young driver surcharge, R185 a day on the fee schedule valid from 1 November 2026.

You can pay with a credit card or a South African debit card in the renter's name. A debit card costs you in three ways: the deposit is higher, the refund needs your bank details, and the car can only be collected at the branch. Ready2GO, the free express check-out, needs a credit card and does not apply to debit card bookings.

Europcar does not publish the deposit amount. It refunds the deposit as soon as possible after return and no later than 21 days afterwards.

Cross-border travel needs a letter of authorisation, requested at reservation. Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and Namibia are permitted, with a cross-border fee of R2 020 on the schedule valid from 1 November 2026. Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique need written pre-approval, and Mozambique and Zimbabwe cost R4 752. Europcar offers no one-way service, roadside assistance or replacement vehicles for Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique.

One-way fees are quoted at reservation. On the same schedule, a drop-off more than 150 km from the pick-up within South Africa costs R1 314. An additional driver costs R585 per rental, and the traffic-fine admin fee is R405 per fine. Some rates include free kilometres per day and charge per kilometre beyond that, so not every rate is unlimited.

Overseas visitors trip over the same points at South African desks. The deposit is a card hold, and the card must be in the main driver's name. Europcar's FAQ also says international renters must show a valid passport and an international driver's licence. Bring an international driving permit even if your licence is in English, or check with Europcar first.

Ask what the excess is on your group and what it costs to reduce it before you sign, not at the desk when you are trying to leave.

Europcar and Tempest are separate brands in the same Motus rental division. Europcar carries the international name and the Drive Club scheme. Tempest is the value brand.

If your employer's travel policy names Europcar, or you have Drive Club status, take Europcar. If you are paying yourself and the badge does not matter, get a Tempest quote for the same dates before you commit.