Car hire in Kimberley

Kimberley Airport is small and quick, with the rental counters in the terminal, and it is close enough to town that most visitors never need a city branch.

Fleets here are modest, so book ahead rather than counting on walk up availability, especially over holidays and around big events.

Kimberley is also a frequent one way point on a Gauteng to Cape Town drive. National brands will quote a one way fee, but it varies, so ask before booking.

Coverage for the other brands on this site varies in the Northern Cape. Check availability for your dates rather than assuming a branch, and remember the region's fleets are small.

Kimberley is a small market where availability is usually a bigger constraint than the rate.

These figures come from Discover Cars and Cheapflights. Most are national, not Kimberley quotes. A "from" price is the cheapest car found on the day; an average includes bigger cars and longer rentals, which is why the two sites differ so much. Discover Cars puts December at about R474 a day against about R387 in September, so holiday dates cost more.

If you are planning a long one way drive, the one way fee often outweighs the difference between daily rates, so compare total quotes rather than headline figures.

The town is compact and easy. The Big Hole, the museums and the older suburbs are all close together, and parking is free or cheap almost everywhere.

The open road is where the planning goes. The N12 to Johannesburg, the N8 to Bloemfontein and the roads west towards Upington are long and lightly trafficked.

• Fill up in the towns rather than betting on the next station being open.
• Livestock and game wander onto unfenced sections, especially at dawn and dusk. Avoid driving at night where you can.
• Distances are deceptive. A 400 km leg on an empty road is tiring in a different way to city driving, so break it properly.
• Summer heat is intense. Carry water, and check tyre pressures, which matter more on hot tar than people realise.

The main routes are tarred and in reasonable condition, but many district roads in the Northern Cape are gravel and your rental agreement probably excludes them.

Approximate one way driving times:

The Cape Town leg is a two day drive for most people, usually broken at Beaufort West or Victoria West.

A hatchback or sedan handles the town and the main tarred routes without difficulty, and a comfortable seat matters more than power on these roads.

Higher clearance becomes relevant for Northern Cape district roads and for park access such as Mokala, where gravel is normal. That is also where the unsurfaced road clause in your rental agreement applies, so ask before you commit.

Whatever you hire, check the spare wheel, the jack and the tyre condition at collection. On a road where the next town is 150 km away, that check is worth the two minutes.