South Africa maintains a road network of approximately 750,000 kilometers, of which around 158,000 kilometers are paved. The country drives on the left side of the road, a practice inherited from British colonial administration. National roads are designated with N-prefixes (N1, N2, N3, etc.), regional routes with R-prefixes, and metropolitan routes with M-prefixes. The N1 spans approximately 1,935 kilometers from Cape Town through Johannesburg to Beitbridge at the Zimbabwe border, making it the longest national route. Traffic lights are called "robots" in South African English. Vehicle registration plates follow a provincial system, though this changed to a national system in 2014. Most rental cars use manual transmission; automatic vehicles typically cost 20-30% more to rent. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.05% (0.05 grams per 100 milliliters of blood), with breath alcohol limit at 0.24 milligrams per 1,000 milliliters. Seatbelts are mandatory for all passengers, and children under three years must use car seats.
Fuel stations are full-service in South Africa; attendants pump fuel, check oil and water, and clean windscreens. Tipping fuel attendants 5-10 rand per service is customary. Petrol prices are regulated nationally and adjusted monthly by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. As of recent years, prices fluctuate between 20-25 rand per liter depending on crude oil costs and rand exchange rates. Most stations accept cash and card payment. Major fuel brands include Shell, BP, Engen, Sasol, Caltex, and Total. Many stations operate 24 hours in urban areas, while rural stations typically close between 18:00-20:00. Ultra-low sulfur diesel became mandatory in 2006. Lead was removed from petrol in 2006. Coastal fuel contains more ethanol than inland fuel due to altitude differences affecting engine performance.
The Garden Route extends approximately 300 kilometers from Mossel Bay to Storms River along the N2 highway, though some definitions extend it to Port Elizabeth. This coastal stretch passes through George, Wilderness, Knysna, and Plettenberg Bay. The route includes sections of Tsitsikamma National Park, where the Storms River Mouth bridge spans 139 meters. The Seven Passes Road between George and Knysna was engineered by Thomas Bain and completed in 1883, though it's now mostly replaced by the N2. Knysna Heads are two sandstone cliffs flanking the lagoon entrance. The Outeniqua Pass reaches 795 meters at its highest point. Bloukrans Bridge, located between Plettenberg Bay and Storms River, stands 216 meters above the Bloukrans River and hosts a commercial bungee jumping operation claiming to be the world's highest commercial bridge bungee at 216 meters. The Garden Route receives rainfall year-round, averaging 600-1,000 millimeters annually. Indigenous forest patches contain yellowwood trees (Podocarpus species) that can live over 600 years.
Chapman's Peak Drive is a 9-kilometer route connecting Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the Cape Peninsula. The road was constructed between 1915-1922 by convict labor at a cost of £20,000. It contains 114 curves carved into the near-vertical cliff face of Chapman's Peak, which rises 593 meters. The route closed in 2000 after rock falls, reopened in 2003 as a toll road costing approximately 51 rand per light vehicle (2024 rates). Engineering work installed catch fences and drilled 900 anchors into the mountainside. Maximum vehicle height is 3 meters. The road connects to the Cape Point route via the M6. On clear days, views extend across False Bay to the Hottentots Holland Mountains. The road appears in numerous film and television productions. Speed limit is 40 kilometers per hour due to curves.
The N2 Wild Coast route between East London and Durban covers approximately 350 kilometers through the former Transkei homeland. This stretch passes through Mthatha (formerly Umtata), birthplace of Nelson Mandela, who was born July 18, 1918, in Mvezo village. The road crosses numerous river valleys, with bridges spanning the Kei, Bashee, Mthatha, and Mzimvubu rivers. The route includes significant elevation changes and is known for livestock on the roadway, particularly cattle and goats. The Msikaba Bridge project, under construction as of recent years, will span 580 meters across the Msikaba Gorge at a height of 285 meters. Coffee Bay and Hole in the Wall are coastal sites accessible via gravel roads branching from the N2. The Nelson Mandela Museum operates across three sites: Mvezo (birthplace), Qunu (childhood home), and Mthatha (museum building). Mandela was buried in Qunu on December 15, 2013.
The Panorama Route is a 150-kilometer circular drive in Mpumalanga Province starting from Graskop or Hazyview. Key viewpoints include God's Window at 1,730 meters elevation, where views extend across the Lowveld to Kruger National Park approximately 900 meters below. Blyde River Canyon is the third-largest canyon in Africa (after Fish River Canyon in Namibia and Grand Canyon in the United States), measuring approximately 26 kilometers long and averaging 800 meters deep. The Three Rondavels are rock formations resembling traditional African huts. Bourke's Luck Potholes are cylindrical rock formations carved by water erosion at the confluence of the Treur and Blyde rivers, named after prospector Tom Bourke who predicted gold in the area in the 1880s. Berlin Falls drops 80 meters, Lisbon Falls (twin streams) drop 94 meters, and Mac-Mac Falls drop 70 meters in a single stream (or 65 meters as twin streams when water volume is low). The town of Pilgrim's Rest was established in 1873 after Alec Patterson discovered alluvial gold; it's now a living museum where the entire town was declared a national monument in 1986.
The Route 62 wine route extends approximately 850 kilometers from Cape Town through the Klein Karoo to Port Elizabeth, making it one of the world's longest wine routes. The R62 passes through Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, and Oudtshoorn. The route parallels the N2 Garden Route but runs inland through semi-arid landscape. Calitzdorp produces port-style wines; Boplaas Estate has won international port competitions. The Huisrivier Pass between Ladismith and Calitzdorp reaches 1,160 meters. Oudtshoorn is the ostrich farming capital; the industry peaked around 1913 when ostrich feathers were fashion items commanding prices up to £75 per kilogram. The Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn are limestone formations dating back approximately 20 million years, with archaeological evidence of human habitation 80,000 years ago. The standard tour covers approximately 1 kilometer through chambers including Van Zyl's Hall (107 meters long, 54 meters wide, 16 meters high). The Swartberg Pass, constructed by Thomas Bain between 1881-1888, climbs to 1,583 meters via gravel road with gradients reaching 1:4.
The Karoo heartland is traversed by the N1 highway between Cape Town and Johannesburg, a distance of approximately 1,400 kilometers. The Great Karoo receives 100-250 millimeters of rain annually. Towns along this route include Beaufort West (established 1818, oldest town in the Central Karoo), Three Sisters (named for three conical koppies), and Colesberg (founded 1830). The Karoo National Park near Beaufort West covers 90,000 hectares. Temperature variations exceed 30 degrees Celsius between summer days (often above 40 degrees) and winter nights (often below freezing). The Karoo Supergroup geological formation covers two-thirds of South Africa's surface, deposited between 320-180 million years ago. Fossil discoveries include Mesosaurus (early reptile) and various therapsids (mammal-like reptiles). The Sutherland area hosts the South African Astronomical Observatory; Sutherland experiences over 200 clear nights annually and minimal light pollution. The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) has a hexagonal mirror array 11 meters across, the largest single optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, operational since 2005.
The Cape Winelands routes center on Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, and Paarl. Stellenbosch was founded February 6, 1679, by Simon van der Stel, making it the second-oldest European settlement in South Africa after Cape Town. The town contains over 50 heritage sites, with Oom Samie se Winkel (general dealer) operating since 1904. Stellenbosch University was established in 1918, though its predecessor institution dates to 1866. The Helshoogte Pass (R310) connects Stellenbosch to Franschhoek, climbing to 408 meters. Franschhoek (French Corner) was settled by French Huguenots in 1688 following the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685; approximately 200 Huguenots arrived at the Cape. The Huguenot Memorial Museum opened in 1967, and the monument was inaugurated in 1948. The Franschhoek Motor Museum contains approximately 220 vehicles spanning 1898-2003, including one of three remaining 1898 Beeston Motor Tricycles. Paarl derives its name from the granite domes that shimmer like pearls after rain; Paarl Rock is a single granite pluton 750 meters long. The Afrikaans Language Monument was inaugurated October 10, 1975, on Paarl Mountain.
The West Coast route follows the R27 from Cape Town northward approximately 400 kilometers to the Namibian border area. Langebaan Lagoon is 17 kilometers long, averaging 4 meters deep, protected within West Coast National Park (47,000 hectares, established 1985). The lagoon hosts over 250 bird species; approximately 55,000 Curlew Sandpipers migrate here annually from Arctic breeding grounds, constituting roughly one-third of the global population. Paternoster is a fishing village established around 1762, named after Portuguese sailors who shipwrecked there reciting the Paternoster (Lord's Prayer). The West Coast National Park includes Postberg Nature Reserve, open August-September during wildflower season. Namaqualand wildflower displays occur typically mid-August to mid-September following winter rains; displays vary annually based on rainfall (optimal after 70-100 millimeters winter rain). Dominant species include Dimorphotheca (Cape marigold), Ursinia, and Gazania. The Skilpad section of Namaqua National Park (55,000 hectares) offers wildflower viewing. Kleinzee and Koingnaas were De Beers diamond mining towns; Kleinzee closed to public access until 2011.
The Kruger National Park spans 19,485 square kilometers (approximately 360 kilometers north-south, averaging 65 kilometers east-west). Nine entrance gates provide access: Crocodile Bridge, Malelane, Numbi, and Phabeni in the south; Paul Kruger and Orpen in the center; Phalaborwa, Punda Maria, and Pafuri in the north. The park was proclaimed Sabie Game Reserve in 1898 by President Paul Kruger, expanded and renamed Kruger National Park in 1926. The southern section (south of Satara) generally offers higher wildlife density. The central section around Satara and Orpen contains open savanna habitat favored by lion and cheetah. The northern section north of Letaba features mopane woodland (Colophospermum mopane) and specialist species including roan antelope and tsessebe. Speed limits are 50 kilometers per hour on paved roads, 40 on gravel, 20 in rest camps. Rest camps include Skukuza (largest, with 358 accommodation units, airstrip, bank, clinic), Berg-en-Dal, Letaba, Mopani, Olifants, Satara, Lower Sabie, and Pretoriuskop (oldest, established 1928). Kruger contains approximately 1,500 lions, 12,000 elephants, 1,000 leopards, 200 cheetahs, and 5,000 black rhinos and white rhinos combined (numbers fluctuate; recent drought and poaching affect populations).
The N2 route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth covers approximately 750 kilometers via the coastal route. Hermanus is considered one of the world's best land-based whale watching locations; southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) migrate to Walker Bay June-November to calve. Peak viewing occurs September-October. The Old Harbour Museum contains a whale crier position; the current crier uses a kelp horn to announce whale sightings. Gansbaai, 40 kilometers from Hermanus, operates great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) cage diving; Dyer Island and Geyser Rock create a channel called Shark Alley. Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point of Africa at coordinates 34°49'58"S 20°00'12"E, 1 kilometer southeast of the town. The Agulhas lighthouse was completed in 1849, stands 27 meters high, and its light is visible 30 nautical miles. The Indian and Atlantic oceans officially meet at Agulhas, not Cape Point (a common misconception). The Breede River mouth is 130 kilometers from Cape Town. Swellendam, founded 1745, is South Africa's third-oldest European town after Cape Town (1652) and Stellenbosch (1679).
The Sani Pass connects KwaZulu-Natal Province to Lesotho, climbing from 1,544 meters at the South African border post to 2,876 meters at the Lesotho border post over 9 kilometers. The gravel road was constructed in 1950 and contains gradients of 1:4. Four-wheel drive vehicles are legally required. The road contains multiple hairpin bends; exact count varies by source but typically stated as 16-20 major switchbacks. Sani Pass Hotel at 2,873 meters (Lesotho side) claims to be the highest pub in Africa. The pass is often closed in winter (June-August) due to snow and ice. Temperature at the summit can drop below -15 degrees Celsius in winter. The uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park (243,000 hectares) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, containing over 600 San rock art sites with an estimated 35,000 individual images, some dating back 3,000 years. Thabana Ntlenyana in Lesotho, visible from the pass, is southern Africa's highest peak at 3,482 meters.
The Midlands Meander in KwaZulu-Natal Province encompasses approximately 80 kilometers between Hilton and Mooi River. The route was formalized in 1985 and includes over 160 member businesses including craft studios, galleries, farm stalls, and accommodation. The area produces cheese at Highgate Dairy (operating since 1989) and Grunthal Cheese Farm. The Natal Midlands receives 900-1,200 millimeters of rain annually, predominantly summer rainfall (October-March). Howick Falls drops 95 meters; the Zulu name is KwaNogqaza, meaning "Place of the Tall One." The falls were known to indigenous populations before European contact; recorded by European explorers in the 1820s. The Midlands area saw significant Indian indentured labor settlement after the first Indians arrived in Natal in November 1860 aboard the Truro and Belvedere ships. Gandhi lived in South Africa 1893-1914, initially arriving in Durban May 23, 1893. The Phoenix Settlement north of Durban was established by Gandhi in 1904.