Driving in South Africa with a UK licence, and getting around Cape Town

Good news first: South Africans drive on the left, and your UK photocard licence works for up to a year.

The short version

• You can drive in South Africa on a UK photocard licence for up to 12 months [1].
• If you still have an old paper licence, get the 1968 International Driving Permit before you travel, or swap to a photocard [1][2].
• Once you have permanent residence you can convert your UK licence to a South African one. The FCDO says do it within 12 months; the Western Cape government's own page allows 5 years [1][3]. Don't leave it late.
• Most Brits in Cape Town drive, because public transport is patchy. The MyCiTi bus is the safest option for the city centre and the Atlantic Seaboard [1].
• Road safety and crime are real issues: keep doors locked and windows up, and follow the FCDO's advice on airport routes [1].

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = ZAR 22.20).

Using your UK licence

The FCDO travel advice says you can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in South Africa for up to 12 months [1]. If you have a paper licence, you'll need the 1968 International Driving Permit (IDP) or a photocard licence [1].

The IDP costs £5.50 and you can buy it in person at shops with PayPoint in the UK. You must carry it with your UK licence, and you need a Great Britain or Northern Ireland licence to get one [2]. Even with a photocard, an IDP is cheap insurance: your insurer may ask to see one after an accident [2].

Hiring a car. Hire companies often want you to have held your licence for at least a year, and set a higher minimum age than in the UK [1]. Ask about "smash and grab" window film when you hire [1].

Your UK licence while you're away. Keep your DVLA record up to date with a UK address you can access, and renew the photocard before it expires. Our guide to driving abroad on a UK licence covers DVLA rules for people living overseas.

Converting to a South African licence

This is where it gets a bit of a minefield, because the rules depend on your visa.

Permanent residents. You can convert your UK licence once you have permanent residence. The Western Cape government says you must convert within 5 years of getting permanent residency under the National Road Traffic Act, and that a foreign licence can't be converted once it has expired or the 5 years have passed [3]. The FCDO travel advice is stricter and tells new permanent residents to exchange within 12 months [1]. The sensible approach is to start as soon as you can.

You need a South African ID document first. The Western Cape page says applicants must have a South African ID, and that permanent residents should apply for one straight away so it arrives before the deadline [3].

What the conversion involves

1. Get your South African ID document from Home Affairs.
2. Ask for a confirmation letter about your UK licence; the Western Cape page says this can come from the roads authority or the consulate [3].
3. Take everything to the helpdesk in the city centre.
4. Keep your temporary licence on you until the new card arrives.

Temporary residents. If you're on a work, retired person's or other temporary visa, you can't convert because you won't have a South African ID. The FCDO's 12-month rule still applies to driving on your UK licence [1], so if you'll be living in South Africa for longer, ask the helpdesk what applies to you before your first year is up.

Driving in Cape Town: what's different

Driving on the left and the familiar road signs make it feel like home, but a few things don't.

• Speed limits are typically 120 km/h (about 75 mph) on highways and 60 km/h (about 37 mph) on major roads [1].
• Four-way stops are everywhere. The first car to arrive goes first, and small roundabouts are treated like four-way stops [1].
• Traffic lights are called "robots". When the power's off, they may be too [1], and drivers treat the junction as a four-way stop. Our guide to load-shedding, water and backup power in Cape Town explains the power situation.
• Overtaking on either side, including on the hard shoulder, is common [1].
• Pedestrians make up a high share of road deaths. Take extra care at night and near minibus taxi stops [1].

Staying safe

The FCDO's travel advice is blunt about crime on the roads [1]:

• Keep doors locked and windows closed, especially at junctions and robots, and keep bags out of sight, ideally in the boot.
• Check that your car is actually locked. Criminals use jamming devices to block central locking.
• At junctions, stop where you can see the tyres of the car in front, so you have room to pull away.
• If someone tries to carjack you, hand over the keys and don't resist.
• Be wary of "blue light" cars; if you're suspicious, keep going to a police station or a petrol station.

Getting to and from Cape Town International Airport. The FCDO notes a rise in attacks on the airport route, including on visitors in hire cars. Stay on the N2 and M3 rather than the R300, use the airport approach road (exit 16 on the N2) rather than Borcherd's Quarry Road, and don't let a sat nav take you off the main roads [1].

Getting around without a car

MyCiTi buses

MyCiTi is the City of Cape Town's bus network, and the FCDO lists it among the safer options in the city centre and along the Atlantic Seaboard, though it advises against using it to travel to townships [1]. It's the closest thing Cape Town has to a London bus with an Oyster card.

You need a myconnect card, which costs R40 (about £1.80) from station kiosks and some shops. Children under 4 travel free [4]. Load it with "Mover" points from R20, tap in and out, and you pay by distance [5].

Peak fares apply to journeys starting on weekdays from 06:45 to 08:00 and 16:15 to 17:30; weekends and public holidays are saver fares all day. Transfers within 45 minutes count as one journey [5]. Fares are from MyCiTi's website, checked on 7 November 2026.

Trains, minibus taxis and ride-hailing

• Metrorail trains reach the southern suburbs and beyond, but the FCDO lists them as higher risk for theft, violence and unreliable service [1].
• Minibus taxis are how many Capetonians commute. They're cheap but minimally regulated, and the FCDO lists them as higher risk too [1].
• Ride-hailing apps are widely used. Book in the app, check the registration and driver match before getting in, and wait somewhere safe rather than on the street [1].

For tips on which routes and suburbs work without a car, ask in our community group for Brits in South Africa.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): South Africa travel advice – safety and security (updated 5 November 2026; checked 7 November 2026)
2. GOV.UK: Driving abroad – International Driving Permits (updated 29 January 2025)
3. Western Cape Government: Convert a foreign driving licence
4. MyCiTi: Get your myconnect card
5. MyCiTi: Pay as you go fares

Keep reading

• Load-shedding, water and backup power in Cape Town
• Cost of living in Cape Town vs London and the UK average
• Driving abroad on a UK licence
• Moving abroad checklist for Brits