Firefly car rental in South Africa

Firefly Car Rental South Africa is part of CFAO Mobility and trades under a Hertz franchise. Its Terms and Conditions cover Hertz, Hertz Ride, Firefly, Dollar and Thrifty in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, and they were last updated in August 2025. Hertz's own South African site lists Firefly among its partner brands.

So Firefly is best seen as a sister brand of Hertz run by the same franchise. The rental agreement is the same family of document, even though the Firefly site is a separate one with its own booking engine.

A caution on freshness. The terms are recent and the locations are current, but the "Recent News" panel in the footer is from 2018 to 2020. Do not read anything into it.

• Rental terms shared with Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty were last updated August 2025 and cover South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. (fireflycarrental.co.za)
• Firefly has a Cape Town Cruise Terminal branch at the V&A Waterfront (Mon-Fri 08:00-17:00, weekends 08:00-13:00) as well as Cape Town Downtown and Cape Town Airport. (fireflycarrental.co.za)
• Airport hours: Cape Town International 06:00-23:59 daily; OR Tambo 06:00-22:00 daily; King Shaka 05:00-20:00 Mon-Fri and 05:00-22:00 Sat and Sun. (fireflycarrental.co.za)
• Vehicle groups include Toyota Agya-type minis, Starlet (manual and automatic), Corolla Quest, Corolla Cross, VW T-Cross, Toyota Rumion MPV, Hilux single and double cab (incl 4x4), Fortuner, 8-seater VW Kombi, and 11-seater Toyota Quantum; BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C200 need two credit cards. (fireflycarrental.co.za)
• Hertz South Africa's website lists Firefly Car Rental among its partner brands. (hertz.co.za)

Checked on 29 September 2026 against Firefly Car Rental'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: fireflycarrental.co.za, fireflycarrental.co.za.

What Firefly Car Rental'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.

Firefly lists these airports on its home page: Bloemfontein (Bram Fischer), Cape Town International, Chief Dawid Stuurman (Port Elizabeth), George, Kimberley, King Phalo (East London), King Shaka (Durban), Kruger Mpumalanga International, Lanseria, Mthatha, OR Tambo (Johannesburg), Pietermaritzburg, Richards Bay and Upington.

In Cape Town there are also two city branches: Cape Town Downtown and the Cape Town Cruise Terminal at the V&A Waterfront. The cruise terminal branch is open from 08:00 to 17:00 Monday to Friday and 08:00 to 13:00 at weekends.

Published airport hours vary. Cape Town International runs from 06:00 to 23:59 daily and OR Tambo from 06:00 to 22:00 daily. King Shaka opens at 05:00 and closes at 20:00 Monday to Friday and 22:00 on Saturday and Sunday. At King Shaka, the airport lists the two together as Hertz / Firefly.

Check the branch page for your date, especially on public holidays.

Here is the short version of the Firefly site.

Published:

• Minimum age of 18 for a car (23 for a motorcycle), in both the terms and the FAQ.
• A valid, unendorsed licence issued in an official South African language, plus a passport for international visitors.
• A credit card in the main renter's name at collection, and the same card if you prepaid.
• A credit check at the counter, and Firefly can decline.
• A R2000 deposit on credit card rentals.
• Permit rules for cross-border travel.

Not published on the Firefly site:

• A young driver surcharge. None is mentioned, but that is not the same as a promise there is none.
• How many years you must have held your licence.
• A mileage limit.
• Whether a debit card is accepted. Every page asks for a credit card, so assume it is not.
• Wording on the International Driving Permit. A foreign licence not in an official South African language is a problem, so check with Firefly before you travel.
• A list of cross-border countries.
• Its own roadside line. The only emergency number on the site belongs to the Jet Park, Johannesburg, Emergency and Road Assist branch, which works weekdays only. Firefly also has a Mobile Assist App for roadside, medical, legal and directions help. It is not a booking app.
• A WhatsApp number.

Put any of these questions to Firefly in writing before you rely on the answer.

The stated deposit is R2000 on credit card rentals. It is taken on top of the estimated rental, a fuel deposit and 100% of the damage responsibility amount that applies to your car. Add it all up before you check that your limit can cover it. Banks can take up to 21 working days to release a hold, so do not plan to spend that money soon after the trip.

The Firefly FAQ lists these extras, all including VAT:

The FAQ says the contract fee is per rental, but the terms say it is per 30 days of rental. Ask which applies to a long hire.

Airport rentals carry an airport surcharge of generally around 13% of the time and kilometre rates, plus a 1% tourism levy. Firefly's terms also let you buy a Super Waiver, or a Super Waiver with Zero Liability, to cut what you owe if the car is damaged.

Cross-border. You need a cross-border permit from the lessor, with written notice of 48 hours or 2 business days before pick-up. Travelling without one is a material breach. Extra charges and documents may apply, and the permit can be declined.

Firefly does not list countries. The Hertz South Africa site, run by the same franchise, says an over-border fee of R2000 applies to each successful authorisation and that Zimbabwe, Angola and Zambia are not allowed. Confirm with Firefly that the same list applies to its cars.

One-way. Allowed. A Drop Fee is charged when you return to a location other than the one you rented from, plus a charge for the distance and fuel needed to bring the car back.

Fuel. The car is delivered with a full tank and must come back full. If it does not, you pay the retail price of the missing fuel plus an administration charge.

The vehicle groups include Toyota Agya-type minis, Starlet in manual and automatic, Corolla Quest, Corolla Cross, VW T-Cross, the Toyota Rumion MPV, Hilux single and double cab including 4x4, Fortuner, an 8-seater VW Kombi and an 11-seater Toyota Quantum. As always you book a group "or similar", not a specific car.

Firefly suits renters who want a Hertz-family operator with airport branches across most of the country, including smaller airports such as Mthatha, Upington and Richards Bay. A stated minimum age of 18 may also help younger drivers, though you should ask about surcharges and car class limits before you commit.

It suits renters without a credit card less well. For debit card or cash hire look at operators that publish that option. Compare with Hertz, Avis and Budget on our comparison guide.