Car hire in Richards Bay without a credit card

Why hire a car in Richards Bay?

Richards Bay lies on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal, between the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park to the north and the mangroves of Mtunzini to the south. St Lucia, Cape Vidal and the Memorial Gate of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi are all within about 110 kilometres of the airport, and you can drive the loop roads of iSimangaliso yourself.

Collect your car at Richards Bay Airport, about seven kilometres from the town. King Shaka International Airport near Durban is about 150 kilometres to the south and has its own pick-up point. For more destinations, see car hire in South Africa.

Exploring Zululand by car

St Lucia and the Eastern Shores

The town of St Lucia is about 75 kilometres from the airport. Lake St Lucia, where you can see hippos and crocodiles, supports more than half of KwaZulu-Natal's waterbirds. From St Lucia to Cape Vidal, about 110 kilometres from the airport, loop roads run through forest, grassland and pans where elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard live. Mission Rocks, 16 kilometres south of Cape Vidal, is good for picnics and whale watching from the cliffs, but not for swimming: the currents are strong. The walk from there to Bats Cave is only possible at low tide.

Charters Creek and the Western Shores

On the western side of the lake, about 90 kilometres from the airport, Charters Creek has four of the Big Five: elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. You can drive the uMphathe game-drive loop yourself, and the uMthoma boardwalk takes you through the treetops.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, established in 1895, is one of the oldest reserves in Africa and the only state-run park in KwaZulu-Natal with all of the Big Five. Its Memorial Gate is about 95 kilometres from the airport. The gates open around 05:00 or 06:00 and close around 18:00 or 19:00, depending on the season, and the times are strictly enforced.

South to Mtunzini

Umlalazi Nature Reserve, one kilometre from Mtunzini and about 50 kilometres from the airport, has some of the best mangrove forest in South Africa and the rare palm-nut vulture. There are no shark nets or lifeguards on its beach.

Driving around Richards Bay

South Africa drives on the left. Your own licence is valid if it is in English and has your photo and signature; if not, bring an International Driving Permit. Heading south on the N2, you pass the Mtunzini toll plaza. There is no toll plaza on the N2 north of Richards Bay towards St Lucia and Hluhluwe. Check isimangaliso.com for permits and bookings in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Best time to hire a car in Richards Bay

Humpback whales pass along the iSimangaliso coast on their migration from June to November, and turtles nest on its beaches from November to March. We have no published long-term averages for Richards Bay; for the climate of this coast, see the figures for Durban, about 150 kilometres south.

The longest South African school holiday runs from mid-December to mid-January, with shorter breaks around Easter, from late June to mid-July and in late September.