Car Rental in Africa – AVIS to the Rescue
- Juanita CEESAY
- Oct 8, 2012
- 3 min read
Traveling in Africa internally or from one country to another can be quite cumbersome, especially if you do not have a car. However, all is not lost, as to the rescue comes the world renowned car rental company – AVIS. I was rather impressed to see that the Company serviced clientele in South Africa, as well as other Southern African countries; namely Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Zambia, Madagascar, Swaziland, and Lesotho.
RATES If you intend on renting a car from AVIS for one day or for an entire month, the following rental rates may be of interest to you:
Car Type: VW Polo or Similar Rental Price: One (1) day: $49.50; Seven (7) days: $301; Thirty (30) days: $686 Note: this is for a standard manual vehicle
Car Type: Toyota Corolla or Similar Rental Price: One (1) day: $ 79; Seven (7) days: $488.50; Thirty (30) days: $975 Note: this is for a standard automatic vehicle
MINI LEASE: – as is evident from the prices, renting a vehicle in Africa is not cheap. Consequently, one of the best options for visitors, short-term expatriates, etc can be to obtain a mini-lease. This option is made available by AVIS to customers who plan on renting out a vehicle for at least three (3) months. It is by far a more cost effective option in terms of rental rates and mileage availability.
AUTOMATIC/MANUAL: These are the little nuances about living in Africa that no one ever tells you about. Unbeknown to me, most cars in Africa, especially in Southern Africa are “manual”. So for a 100% automatic reliant driver like me, this came as a terrible shock. Automatic cars are available, but as you can see from the above rental rates, they are way more expensive than their manual counterparts. Depending on how long your stay is in Africa, you might want to take this as an opportunity to learn how to drive a manual car (that is what I did). However, if your stay will be just for a short while, then no worries, automatic cars are available for rent, but don’t however go for cheap.
DRIVING ON LEFT SIDE OF LANE: – Most African countries, especially those that are former colonies of Great Britain, drive on the “left hand side” of the road. I found this tidbit to be another one of those things you are not really aware of until you get here. This will therefore pose some problems, especially for those coming from the United States. However, after sometime, I can confidently assure you that your lane- perception will re-adjust.
DRIVERS LICENSE: – I currently carry and use my American driver’s license (New York license to be specific) when I drive, and have so far not had any problems. I have used my license legally in South Africa and Botswana, and have not encountered any problems, even on once instance when I was pulled over by a cop in SA. As such, it appears that a valid internationally recognized license is sufficient enough proof to allow you to rent and drive a car in most African countries.
AVIS RENTALS FROM AIRPORT – The convenience of been able to pick up a rental car directly from the airport, is probably the determining factor in why I prefer AVIS over that of other car rental company in Africa. Conveniently situated at airport hubs, it is extremely easy for anyone to hop from the plane and to an awaiting mode of transportation that will take you to your final destination. Hence my love of AVIS.
On that note –safe travels all to your destinations around Africa, and now you know that if you are traveling in Southern Africa without a car, have no fear, for AVIS is to the rescue.
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