Car hire in Mpumalanga

Kruger Mpumalanga International, between Mbombela and White River, is the practical answer for almost every visitor. It is small, collection is fast and the fleets there are geared for Kruger trips.

Town branches exist in Mbombela and eMalahleni, and they serve local and business demand more than tourism.

The alternative many people choose is to collect at OR Tambo and drive the N4 east, which takes about four hours to Mbombela. That gives you a wider vehicle choice and often a better rate, at the cost of a long first day. If you are combining Mpumalanga with Gauteng, it is usually the better plan.

Coverage for the other brands on this site varies across the province, and is thinnest in the smaller towns. Check availability for your dates rather than assuming a branch is nearby.

Mpumalanga rates follow the national picture, with the sharpest increases over school holidays when Kruger fills up.

These figures come from Discover Cars and Cheapflights. Most are national, not Mpumalanga 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.

The vehicle groups that sell out first here are SUVs and bakkies, because of game viewing demand. If that is what you want, book it early rather than hoping to upgrade at the counter.

The N4 runs east to west across the province and is a toll road, so keep a card or cash for the plazas. It carries heavy freight traffic between Gauteng and the Mozambique border, particularly around eMalahleni and Middelburg.

The escarpment passes, including Long Tom, Kowyns and the roads around Graskop, are tarred but steep, winding and often misty. Take them slowly and use the designated viewpoints rather than stopping on the shoulder.

Inside Kruger, the speed limit is 50 km/h on tar and 40 km/h on gravel, gate and camp times are fixed, and you must stay in the vehicle except at camps and picnic sites.

Avoid driving after dark on rural roads. Livestock, wildlife and pedestrians are all present and the risk rises sharply once the light goes.

Approximate one way driving times:

The Panorama Route is short in kilometres and long in hours, because the viewpoints are the trip.

A sedan or hatchback handles the N4, the passes and Kruger's tarred network without difficulty.

An SUV or bakkie is worth the extra mainly for the seating height in the park, and for comfort on the gravel loops late in the dry season when they get corrugated.

The Lowveld is warm year round, so working air conditioning matters. Parts of the far north of the province fall in a low risk seasonal malaria area, which is a health question rather than a vehicle one, but it is worth speaking to a travel clinic before a summer trip.

Cross border travel to Eswatini or Mozambique needs written permission from the rental company, arranged in advance and carrying a fee.