Transportation

Southern Africa is a big area, with a diverse population, unevenly spread. It is also divided very much into a First World sector, with high car ownership, and a Third World sector, where car ownership is very low.

This means that most public transport is provided for the less-privileged, where comfort is sacrificed for price. First World visitors will find that our city bus and train services are of little help in getting around. They are crowded, dirty, and sometimes dangerous, and they tend to serve the areas where the masses live, rather than the areas where the hotels and tourist attractions are. Taxis, tour buses and rental cars are the most practical alternatives.

For getting between cities, we have good air links, and acceptable inter-city bus services.

From UK and Europe, one can fly overnight to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Namibia and Harare, arriving the next morning. Most flights from Southern Africa to Europe are also overnight, arriving early the following morning. Flying time between London and Cape Town, by way of example, is 11 hours.

From North America, there are overnight flights from Atlanta and New York to Cape Town and Johannesburg. Flying time is around 16 hours to South Africa, and up to 18 hours from South Africa.

If your destination is Windhoek or Harare, you will have to fly either via South Africa or Europe.

Many North Americans fly to South Africa via Europe. This usually entails an overnight flight from North America to the European connecting point. You then have to spend the day either at the airport or "going downtown", and then return to the airport for the overnight flight to your Southern African destination.

The return journey to North America works rather better, as you fly overnight from Southern Africa to Europe. Arriving in the morning, most of the flights to North America leave just a few hours later, and get you to your home that same afternoon.

Canadians travelling via New York often have the inconvenience of having to switch airports (between La Guardia and JFK). For this reason, flights via Atlanta are preferable.

If flying via Europe, it is better to choose a connecting point that has only one terminal. For example, Schiphol, Amsterdam, or Kloten, Zurich, are very efficient connecting points. If you must fly via London, try to choose a combination of flights that use the same airline terminal, or else be prepared to encounter the inconvenience of switching terminals. The same advice applies to JFK at New York.

From Australasia, SAA and QANTAS are the direct carriers, connecting Johannesburg with Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. It's about 20 hours between Johannesburg and Sydney.

Connections via Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are also popular, especially if you are starting from Brisbane. It saves flying down to Sydney.

If you are starting out from New Zealand, you will fly to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, and then take the most convenient connection, or combination of connections, from there.

As rail travel has declined, luxury bus travel between the cities via the major routes has increased. This is an economical way of getting from place to place, although it can be quite tiring. Many of the schedules operate at night, and I would not recommend it as a way of actually SEEING the country.

However, this may be regarded as a First World transportation service that visitors can confidently make use of.

The buses stop at various places en route - but you should ensure that someone is waiting to meet you. Small places do not have taxi services.

The buses are modern, air-conditioned, and equipped with toilet facilities, video, and may even serve refreshments. They also make regular stops for those who prefer fixed toilets to mobile ones. At such stops one has the opportunity to stretch one's legs and purchase snacks and beverages.

Inter-city buses also operate over-border, reaching as far as Windhoek in Namibia, and Bulawayo and Harare in Zimbabwe.

A bus service with a difference is the Baz Bus. Basically it is meant for younger travellers and backpackers. It serves a route from Cape Town all the way along the Indian Ocean coast to Durban and Zululand, and inland from Zululand through Swaziland to Johannesburg and Pretoria. In short, it covers the favourite backpacker route. Even the pick-up and drop-off points are youth hostels or backpacker lodges.

One ticket for a particular route entitles the holder to as many stop-overs along the route as he wishes. There is no time limit.

As the advertising blurb says, it's a fun way to meet other travellers, and it gives one the opportunity of picking their brains too.

Baz Bus is now operating from Johannesburg to Vic Falls as well. Not the kind of thing I would go for, but if I was younger .............

This has been on the decline for many years. The main inter-city trains still running are the Trans-Karroo, which operates between Pretoria/Johannesburg and Cape Town (27 hours), and the Trans-Natal, between Johannesburg/Pretoria and Durban (overnight).

There is a move afoot to upgrade a portion of the Trans-Karroo. The new service has just been launched, and details were not available at the time of writing. Enquiries can be directed to Spoornet, which is what the South African Railways now calls itself.

Over-border trains run to Windhoek in Namibia, and to Bulawayo and Harare in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has recently acquired some modern, air-conditioned carriages to operate an inter-city service between Bulawayo and Harare.

The gauge used in Southern Africa is somewhat narrower than the standard gauge used in Europe and North America. Our trains are therefore somewhat slower, and not quite as steady as those elsewhere, but they have served us quite well for many years. If you can ride a Spanish train, you can ride one of ours.

Trains are patronised by all manner of people, and you never know who you might have to share with if you simply book one or two places. Second Class compartments sleep six passengers, First Class compartments sleep four. Accommodation is segregated by sex.

The way to get around this is to book a compartment for "sole use." There are a few "half-compartments" known as coupes, failing which you book a whole compartment. Then it's just you and those who you are travelling with.

We do not have luxury sleeping cars of the kind found in Europe. The seats fold into bunks, similar to what the Europeans call a "couchette."

At the time of booking, you should order your bedding tickets. The bedding is brought by the bedding attendant each evening, and is really comfortable (well, those of us who enjoy train travel think so!). Of course, someone has to be agreeable about climbing into the upper bunk, so make sure that at least half your party are agile.

The compartments do not have any facilities beyond a washbasin. The toilets are at the end of each corridor. In theory, there is also a shower somewhere on the train, although I have never seen it used. Most folk can survive for a day without bathing.

The trains have refreshment cars which serve a variety of snacks and refreshments cafeteria style.

Our regular rail may be rather ordinary, but South Africa is home to the two best trains in the world -the famous Blue Train, and the more recently established Rovos Rail.

The Blue Train is the last word in both luxury and technology. It rides on computer-controlled air suspension, to iron out every possible jerk or bump. It features double glazed windows to insulate you from too much heat or cold, with natty little venetian blinds that open or close at the touch of a button. Touching other buttons will produce television, radio, a cellphone to call your granma in Albuquerque, or a man in a smart uniform to bring you whatever you wish to eat and/or drink.

The Blue Train's traditional route is between Cape Town and Pretoria (27 hours). However, it is now operating from Pretoria to Victoria Falls as well.

Rovos Rail should never be compared to the Blue Train, as the concept is entirely different. Their train is called the Pride of Africa, and it is. The Pride of Africa is a historic train, and it starts each journey by arriving at the platform behind two magnificently restored steam engines. Enthusiasts are invited to climb aboard the footplate and see how everything works before the journey commences. The train pulls out behind these engines, too. Sadly, we no longer have coal and water facilities available for long steam journeys, so the steam locos are used on just the first stretch before electric or diesel is substituted, but by then you are under way, and can enjoy the train without worrying about what's pulling it. It's cleaner, too.

The carriages are old South African Railways rolling stock, refurbished rather than merely restored. Gone are the cramped compartments. You sleep in a wood-panelled suite, with an air-conditioner that really works. You have a proper bed, with a proper shower and toilet en suite. A carriage that used to sleep 36 in six compartments now accommodates precisely 6 passengers in three separate suites.

The train has two lounge cars. The rear car has an open viewing deck so you can sit outside with your champagne (or whatever, but champagne is the "drink of the train"), watching the tracks, and the African landscape, receding. The centre lounge is, well, classy. Olde worlde classy, of course.

The dining cars have been faithfully restored. Some of them date back to the twenties, with their fluted columns and bevelled mirrors. The food, the wines, and the service, are beyond reproach.

Being a historic train, it does not feature all the little electric gizmos of the Blue Train, and it tends to bump and sway a bit like the trains of old. But it's a glorious experience, every inch of the way.

The Pride of Africa does not simply operate from A to B like the Blue Train does. The main route is from Cape Town to Pretoria, taking 3 days/2 nights, with a stop at Kimberley to tour the Big Hole and the Open Mine Museum. Or you may travel from Pretoria to Victoria Falls - also 3 days/2 nights, with a stop at Bulawayo for an excursion.

Other routes take the Pride of Africa from Pretoria to the Eastern Transvaal, to Windhoek and Swakopmund in Namibia, and one a year a grand safari from Cape Town all the way to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.

If Rovos Rail has to be compared with any train, then it is with the Orient Express, because that, too, is a re-creation of history. People who have travelled on both reckon that Rovos wins by a comfortable head.

Less luxurious, but also a trip back into the past, and operating under steam the whole way, is the Union Limited. This is an operation running from Cape Town to Knysna and back, so it's a sort of Garden Route special.

Finally, there is the Outeniqua Choo Choo, which is the shortest journey available - just 2½ hours. This is a steam service between George and Knysna. Humble carriages, clean and comfortable without being fancy. The real experience is the scenery, as you travel along the edge of some of our most beautiful coastline, and then inland through forests and lakes. Cheap and cheerful, and well worth it.

Southern Africa is well served by airlines, and high aviation standards are maintained. Regular services by modern jet aircraft, connecting the principal cities, both within South Africa itself, and over-border to our neighbouring territories. Smaller centres are connected by feeder airlines, operating smaller jets and turbo-prop mini-airliners.

All of these airlines have modern computerised booking systems, so details of schedules and prices can be obtained anywhere in the world simply by asking your local travel agent to tap a few buttons on the terminal on her desk.

Departure taxes apply, and these will be included in your ticket, with the exception of flights out of Zimbabwe, where departing passengers have to pay twenty US dollars IN CASH.

Major towns and cities have local bus services, but these are in almost all cases simply not suitable for use by visiting tourists. The nearest thing we have to a viable bus service for tourists is the "Mynah" which is Durban's inner city bus service, and Cape Town's Waterfront Shuttle, which connects the Waterfront with downtown.

Do not pay any attention to anyone who says, "Oh, no problem, we are on a bus route". Perhaps they are. But if there isn't a bus on the bus route, it won't help much, will it.

There is also the security situation to consider. Buses do not drop you at your hotel doorway. Taxis do.

Some centres have limited metropolitan rail services. However, these generally go to high-density residential areas, rather than to the places where you want to go. The one exception is Cape Town's Southern Suburbs rail service, which connects downtown Cape Town to Fish Hoek and Simon's Town on the False Bay coast.

This could be an excellent service, and once upon a time it was. At the moment, however, it is both dirty and dangerous. If you are fit and look like you can take care of yourself, or if there are a few of you, that's okay. There's safety in numbers.

Southern Africa has two very different types of taxi. We have what is known as a "black taxi", which is usually white, or any colour other than black! It is a Japanese minibus licensed to carry 15 people, into which at least 17, and possibly 20 plus, are crowded.

We have laws, of course, but we do not have any police or traffic officers brave or foolish enough to try enforcing these where minibus taxis are concerned. Consequently, there is a good chance that the driver will be unlicenced, and the vehicle itself will be unlicensed, uninsured and unroadworthy.

The so-called "black taxis" are now the principle means of transport for the vast majority of black South Africans, which means that they generally ply set routes from the city centres to the black residential areas. It is therefore unlikely that you will find yourself using one.

Black taxis operate in all the countries of Southern Africa. However, in Zimbabwe they are known as ET's, or Emergency Taxis. This is because they operate on licences granted by the government as an emergency measure when the regular transportation services were temporarily unable to cope. The "emergency" occurred in the early 1980's. Whether or not the "emergency" was ever resolved is anyone's guess, but the ET's are now a permanent feature of the landscape.

Then we have the more traditional taxis, which take you, and ONLY you, wherever you want to go. These taxis usually operate on a meter system, although you may find some drivers operating on a negotiated rate system. Make sure that you know beforehand which system is being used.

Taxis are rare outside the major centres. They are plentiful in Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town. I once heard that there was a taxi in George, but I never found it. Knysna has a few "scooter taxis" for short journeys, and a service that will ferry people between the start and finish points of the Outeniqua Choo Choo.

Taxis are also found at the major airports, and provide one of the most expensive ways of getting into town. Shuttle buses are a much better deal for airport transfers.

South African taxis do not "cruise". You are not supposed to step into the street shouting "Taxi." You will probably be knocked down. You are supposed to phone for a taxi, or approach one standing at a designated taxi rank. They may also wait outside hotels, airports and other such venues where people may approach them for fares.

One of the best ways to get a taxi is to approach the porters desk in a hotel. Any hotel. Porters always have their "contacts". Also, if you are eating in a restaurant, don't hesitate to ask the management to call a taxi for you.

Taxis come in different sizes, and most commonly they will be small cars. These take three passengers easily enough, and four if you are prepared to stop breathing for the duration of the journey. However, if you need a taxi for four or more people, you can ask the taxi company to send a large vehicle. They may be able to provide a Venture bus, which is a useful little Toyota wagon that takes up to 9, or a minibus that will take between 9 and 14.

Taxi fares vary considerably from city to city. Durban is the best, with the taxis charging reasonable rates and buzzing up and down all day. Johannesburg is the worst, with taxis sitting idle much of the time, and then levying a fortune off one or two suckers a day. Cape Town is sort of inbetween. Cape Town's centre, including the Waterfront, is compact, so even though the rates per kilometer are high, you don't need to travel very many kilometers.

By the way, taxi drivers are not tour guides, even though many of them claim to be. Neither they, nor their vehicles, are registered for tour operations. You will get a cheaper deal, and a better tour, if you go on a proper tour in a licensed vehicle, with a registered guide. If the guy was any good as a tour guide, he wouldn't be sitting reading the newspaper outside the airport.

Shuttle buses are a sort of hybrid between the black taxis and the traditional ones. They are springing in the main centes, and perform a range of useful transfers between the airports, hotels, and tourist attractions. Make local enquiries, because if a shuttle is available for what you want to do, that's very often the best way of doing it. Don't hesitate to pick the driver's brain, and don't be shy to tip him a couple of rand for his trouble.

But, like taxi drivers, shuttle drivers are not tour guides unless they can show you proof of registration.

If you are travelling independently, it is a good idea to take local tours. These are available from a host of companies great and small, professional and unprofessional. You will find brochures aplenty, and the hotel porter will always be pleased to book you on a tour. Not the best one, necessarily - he will always choose the operator that pays him the biggest commission. Maybe you should choose your own operator!

You will find that there are half-day tours, full day tours, and for destinations further afield, tours that take a few days and cover accommodation as well.

Local travel agents do not deal much with our tour operators, so you should contact them direct (or ask the porter to make the booking for you).

Due to the lack of viable public transportation, car hire is big business in South Africa, for businessmen and tourists alike. For the independent traveller, this is the way to go. South Africa has good roads, and outside of the big cities, not much traffic. However, we also have some of the world's worst drivers, so car rental is not for the inexperienced, or the faint-hearted!

There are also a number of precautions that should be taken in view of our high incidence of crime (see safety). Nevertheless, prospective visitors who wish to make use of hired cars should not be put off. Thousands of tourists enjoy travelling this way, and experience trouble-free holidays.

If you are going to rent a car, you should be a member of your home country Automobile Association, and you should call on them to ensure that you have reciprocity with the Automobile Association of South Africa (AA of SA) which provides an invaluable service to the motoring tourist in Southern Africa. This includes the latest road maps, information brochures, and breakdown and tow-in services if you are unlucky enough to need them.

There are a great many companies, with the international giants having operations here, as well as a large number of smaller, local, rental operators.

The nationwide operators have the advantage of being able to offer back-up just about wherever you go, plus the facility of one-way rentals, so you can hire in one place and drop off in another. They have offices at airports, so you don't have to scan the crowds for a representative holding up a board with your name on it.

Inevitably, prices are higher than those charged by the smaller, purely local, rental companies, but if you are planning to travel extensively, it's worth it to know that you have one of the big guys behind you.

Avis, Hertz, and Budget are the big international names that you will find in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Imperial is a local biggie that you will find all over South Africa, and also in Namibia.

Tempest is an aggressive South African company which claims to offer very competitive rates (and has the most entertaining TV advertisements as well!)

Local rental companies can be found in the various centres. These are usually cheaper than the nation-wide operators, as they have lower overheads. They do not have expensive airport premises and sometimes may not even be able to offer airport pick-up and drop-off at all. They may offer older cars, or cars with fewer features. Most importantly, their back-up is limited to the area around their base, and if you break down some distance away, you could be stuck for a while.

However, if you are intending to concentrate on the immediate area, they provide a good service at a reasonable price.

South Africa is well-equipped with caravan and camping sites, varying in quality from excellent to plain bloody rough! However, those who favour this way of travel are usually accustomed to taking the rough with the smooth, and experienced at separating the two before they actually commit themselves.

Britz is the biggest. Represented in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Windhoek.

It is reckoned that possibly as many as two thirds of drivers in South Africa do not actually have valid driver's licences! However, this doesn't mean that YOU don't have to have one!

The general rule is that you may drive on your regular licence for six months, after which you need either an International Driving Permit, or a valid South African licence. However, some car rental companies will insist that you have the International Driving Permit anyway, so it is recommended that you get one in your home country.

The Southern African countries have different licences for motor cycles, light motor vehicles, and different categories of heavy vehicles. Some of the bigger campers (3 tonnes and upwards) fall into the heavy duty vehicle category, but in the main, a licence for an ordinary motor car will cover rental cars and most campers.

On the whole, our rental prices are considered to be on the high side, as cars (and especially campers) are expensive in South Africa.

As mentioned previously, the nation-wide rental operators have higher overheads, and generally offer wider back-up, and newer cars with more features, so expect to pay more. Local operators are cheaper.

Different pricing structures are available. The basic system is Time and Mileage - "so much per day, plus so much per kay."

Unlimited rates are also available - you pay so much per day, regardless of distance travelled. There are also rates that offer a flat rate per day which includes a certain number of kilometers, but you pay extra per kilometer if you exceed the distance. The kilometer allowance is usually quite generous, so these are usually the best rates for tourists planning to travel any distance. For example, a rate which allows 200 km per day will allow 1000 km over a five day rental period, and that is quite sufficient for a trip along the Garden Route, or a trip from Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park and back.

A useful feature is that you don't have to decide which rate you want until you return the car. The company will work out the charge on both systems, and you will be charged the lower of the two results.

Other special offers include Weekly Rates and Weekend Specials. Weekend Specials, in particular, offer value for money. Rental companies deal mainly with businessmen, which means that their cars are idle on weekends, and they will offer very good rates to keep them working. A "weekend" is reckoned to start on Friday at noon and end on Monday at 9 a.m.

A rental "day" is based on 24 hours or part thereof, starting from when you collect the car. At then end of the rental period, you have about two hours "grace" to return the car, failing which you become liable for a further day's rental.

Insurance and fuel are NOT included in the prices. You must budget separately for these. (See Insurance and Fuel).

There may also be special deals on car rental offered from your home country. These may include the insurances, but will never include fuel.

Whatever deal you decide on, don't even THINK of renting a car without a credit card!

The big oil companies in Southern Africa are Shell, Caltex, Engen, BP and Total. In this section, however, we are not concerned with what petrol they sell, but what facilities they offer YOU while you are stopped at their pumps.

Toilets in Southern Africa are a vexing problem. There are not enough of them, and their condition often leaves a great deal to be desired. Your choice of petrol is thus often made according to how good the toilets are at various service stations.

Top of the line are the fine Shell Ultra Cities - 24 hour service, with the finest toilets in the land!. Free of charge, too. Ultra Cities have shops and fast food sit-down and take-out restaurants as well.

Close behind come the Engen One-Stops and the Caltex Star-Stops, which are pretty much the same as the Ultra Cities.

Lesser Shell stations may show the Ultra Service sign, which means that they should at least offer a reasonable toilet, and possibly a small shop as well.

Service stations in cities generally do not offer toilets, as they attract too many passers by off the streets, and the management reckon that their genuine motoring customers can probably hang on until they get home!

Fuel costs around twice as much as in the USA, and about half as much as in the UK. The price is fixed by government, and changes on the first Wednesday of each month. Fuel is cheapest at the coast, and costs slightly more inland and in remote places.

Fuel is cheaper in Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. However, with present problems in Zimbabwe, fuel may not be available at all..

Both leaded and unleaded fuel is available, so you should check beforehand to ascertain the correct type for the car you are using.

Self-service pumps are not available anywhere in the sub-continent. Attendants will fill your car, and will usually clean your windshield and offer to check oil, water, tyres, battery, etc. A tip of a rand or two is appreciated and appropriate for willing and friendly service.

One of the great curiosities of our governmental fuel legislation is that you cannot purchase fuel on an ordinary credit card. You should make sure that you always have sufficient local currency available to refill your tank. Foreign notes or travellers' cheques will not do, as the guys who operate the petrol pumps won't know how to handle them.

The smallest and cheapest rental cars are generally designated Group A. Group B will offer more features, and so on, finishing with Mercedes Benzes and BMW's with every last modern facility. There are additional categories for minibuses and four wheel drives.

Most of the cars are manufactured in South Africa, where small hatchbacks of around 1300cc are most popular in the cheaper bracket. These are adequate for everyday running around, but if you are doing any serious travelling, you should opt for something with air-conditioning, and a bigger engine.

Automatic transmission is available. Generally, the smaller cars are manual, and the bigger ones automatic, so check to make sure what you are getting.

Prestige cars, such as Mercedes Benz and BMW, are more likely to be targets of the criminal community. If a humbler car will serve you, don't show off.

Minibuses are ideal for larger parties. The Volkswagen Minibus takes 8 people (driver plus 7) in great comfort. You are higher up, for better views, especially in the game parks.

The Japanese minibuses are not recommended; they are often targeted by car thieves and hijackers, who sell them, or their parts, to the flourishing minibus taxi market. (This is because the Japanese designs have the engine under the front seat, while the Volkswagen has the engine at the rear. You can squeeze a lot more people into a Japanese minibus, so Volkswagens are not as useful for taxi purposes.)

You should pay careful attention to the insurances offered. Most important are the Collision Damage Waivers and the separate Anti-theft insurance. These come in two levels - Super and regular.

Regular Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) will cover you for 90 per cent of any damage done, while Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW) will cover you completely.

Similarly, regular Theft Waiver (TW) will cover you for 90 per cent of the cost of the car, while Super Theft Waiver (STW) will cover you completely.

Watch out for fine print. The Super Waivers may not cover you for your own carelessness - if you drive on a road that is not suitable for the car, or if you manage to have an accident in which no other car is involved.

Super Waivers may also be limited to rentals entirely within the borders of South Africa.

A Personal Accident insurance is also offered. it's not expensive, but most people don't take it, because they already have other travel insurance.

There are few places in Southern Africa where four wheel drive is really necessary. Four wheel drive vehicles are also very expensive to hire, and ideally they require some specialised driving techniques if you are using them in areas that call for them. They serve a purpose, but you are advised to ensure that you REALLY need four wheel drive before you hire one. (For example, you could hire a 4 x 4 at Windhoek, and drive hundreds of kilometers around Namibia. Or you could hire a Volkswagen for much less, and only hire a 4 x 4 at Sesriem, for the short journey to Sossusvlei and back.)

Most of the main routes through Southern Africa are surfaced, but you are sure to encounter some gravel roads. These require caution, if you are not familiar with this kind of driving.

You may encounter bone-hard corrugations, soft sand, mud, potholes or even ditches and washaways. None of these should present any problem unless you decide to be a hero. Many of our own city slickers come home in ambulances because they overestimate their driving skills in unfamiliar conditions!

Take it easy, and if a faster vehicle comes up behind you, slow down and pull over as soon as you can safely do so to let him pass.

Avoid travelling close behind other vehicles on gravel roads. There is a danger of stones being flicked up, your windshield and paintwork are getting sandblasted, your air filter is filling with grit, and dust is seeping into both the car and the boot where your luggage is stored. If you can't get close enough to pass, drop back and admire the scenery.

Remember that sudden braking on gravel roads is very different to braking on surfaced roads. Try to drive in such a way that you minimise the likelihood of having to jump on the brake pedal. In other words, take it easy, let the other traffic stay well ahead or far behind, and watch out for people and livestock.

It is perfectly acceptable to drive in the middle of a gravel road as long as no one else is near. Slow down and move over to the left to allow other traffic to get by.

Try to avoid stopping on gravel roads except at places where you can pull well clear of the roadway. If you stop to admire the scenery, change a wheel, or whatever, it can be both dangerous and unpleasant as other vehicles whizz by.

Roads in South Africa are really very good, given the amount of traffic that we have. Roads in Zimbabwe, Namibia and Swaziland are quite acceptable. Botswana and Lesotho are the least developed where roads are concerned.

In South Africa, there is a national network of roads, maintained by central government. These are desgnated by N followed by the route number. These are just a few of the most important:

The individual provinces maintain regional roads, designated R. Most of these are surfaced, or are well-maintained gravel. Between the National and Regional roads, you should be able to reach just about every likely place of interest. You may encounter the odd D road. These District roads are very minor, serving mainly the farming community.

Gravel roads are generally good, as there is little rain and little traffic. However, roads in the area of Fish River Canyon are hard and stony. Roads in the Namib Naukluft area are often heavily corrugated.

The road(s) connecting Victoria Falls with Kariba via the south bank of the Zambezi and Lake Kariba are not suitable for ordinary vehicles. However, you can drive from Vic Falls to Binga or Mlibizi and put your car on the ferry to Kariba. Bookings for this are essential.

Swaziland is a very small country, and yet it is eminently suitable for exploration by car. Main surfaced routes are:

Botswana has two main arterial roads that are intended to facilitate long distance regional transport, rather than tourism. These run from Lobatse in the south to Kazangula in the north, and from Gaberone to Gobabis in Namibia. There is little to see along these routes. There are also problems associated with bringing/taking hired cars across the borders, so hired cars are not a recommended way of visiting Botswana. Most visitors are interested in the game viewing areas in the far north, where ideally one needs four wheel drive, and a knowledgeable person to drive and navigate.

Lesotho is the least developed country in Southern Africa, and is not really suitable for visiting by hired car. There is one main surfaced road, running just inside the border from Oxbow to Maseru. Most visitors will enter at Ficksburg Bridge and drive via Teyateyaneng (to see the weaving and pottery) to Maseru, the capital. This is right on the border,and they can cross back into South Africa via Maseru Bridge on the same day, and head for Thaba Nchu or Bloemfontein for overnight.

Our road system was inherited from the British. In theory, at least, we keep to the left and pass on the right. We have solid and broken white lines, to indicate when you may or may not overtake, and we use internationally recognisable road signs.

South Africa can't afford to build dual carriageways over the long distances between our towns and cities. As a compromise, many National roads, and a number of the Regionals, are single carriageways, which have a hard-shoulder that is not legally part of the road, but on which you may stop in the event of breakdowns, punctures or other emergencies.

The legal road is demarcated by solid yellow lines, and you are not permitted to drive on the "shoulder" i.e. on the left of the yellow line.

However, there is a very useful convention in force. If a faster vehicle comes up behind you, you MAY move over to the left, on to the hard shoulder, to let the other vehicle pass by. You don't have to move - it's a convention, not a law. The driver behind you is not permitted to flash his lights to tell you to move over - if he does, feel free to ignore him.

You are not allowed to show this courtesy if it is not safe to do so. If you are approaching a blind rise, or a bend, and cannot see far enough to know that no one is stopped on the shoulder ahead of you, you should not move over. At night, when visibility is reduced, you should not move over unless you are travelling very slowly, and can stop within range of your own headlamps.

You will be held responsible if you cause an accident on the hard shoulder, even if you were only trying to be courteous!

Of course, if there is no oncoming traffic, and no solid white line, the driver behind can easily move out and overtake anyway, so you won't need to move over to help him.

Once safely past, you may notice that the driver switches on his hazard flashers for a few moments. This is his way of saying "Thank you".

If you pass a truck that has moved over to let you by, and you switch on your hazard flashers to thank him, you may notice that he flashes his headlamps. That means, "Thank you for saying thank you." Only truckers do this. Ordinary cars do not.

The international rule is that you give way to traffic that is already in the circle. In South Africa, however, that is far too complicated, so we have all manner of road signs which quite defeat the purpose of traffic circles. You may be going around a traffic circle, happily thinking you have right of way, and suddenly you will encounter a yield sign or a traffic light, which gives right of way to the traffic coming into the circle from your left. If you come from a conservative law-abiding country, this is most disconcerting. If you come from a country where all the drivers are mad, and it's every man for himself, you will feel very much at home.

Yellow lines mean no stopping are parking. Red lines mean absolutely no stopping or parking. Both are routinely ignored.

These may be single, double, and sometimes triple. In all cases, they mean that you should not cross them to overtake. However, as there is very little traffic enforcement, you may expect to be overtaken regularly. Do not curse, or make observations about how irresponsible this is. Be prepared to brake hard and veer left to enable the idiot to save his own life, his passengers' lives, the lives of the people in the oncoming vehicle, and quite possibly your own life as well.

In some places, traffic lights have an additional set of little green arrows which may allow you to proceed in the indicated direction. Watch out for them. Local drivers, who all know about them, get very irritated when a visitor fails to spot them.

This is not automatically permitted in Southern Africa. If you are allowed to make a left turn when a traffic light is showing red, this will be indicated by a traffic sign or a flashing green arrow. Sometimes there will be a sliproad to the left, which is controlled by a yield sign, which will enable you to bypass the traffic light.

You may see signs that warn you that there is a robot ahead. Do not look for something out of Star Wars. Robot is a Southern African colloquialism meaning traffic lights. In order to find out why, you will have to come on one of my tours!

You may rent a car and take it across our regional borders. However, please take note of the following:

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