Motorhomes and 4x4 campers for the Drakensberg and Zululand
Compare the 7 campervan and motorhome rental companies in Durban to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Airport branches: Avis Safari Rental, Bobo Campers
Hiring a campervan in Durban means setting off from South Africa's great Indian Ocean city, with the basalt cliffs of the Drakensberg, the rhino reserves of Zululand and the UNESCO-listed iSimangaliso wetland just a few hours' drive away. Lesotho, via the Sani Pass, and Eswatini are also within reach. 7 partner companies hand over their vehicles here: Avis Safari Rental, Bobo Campers and Maui, as well as Britz and Bushlore Africa, which each offer both motorhomes and 4x4 campers.
Two of them meet you at King Shaka airport, north of the city: a direct start towards the coast and the parks of KwaZulu-Natal.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
| Vehicle | Winter July | Spring October | Summer January | Autumn April |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campervan | from €150/day median €239/day | from €150/day median €239/day | from €128/day median €173/day | from €169/day median €246/day |
Daily prices observed on October 19, 2026 for a 15-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 3 rental companies compared. 100% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €1,623.
Along the N3, Pietermaritzburg and the Howick Falls open up the Midlands, with their farms and craft workshops. You then follow the UNESCO-listed uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park: Champagne Castle, Cathedral Peak and then the Amphitheatre in Royal Natal, one of the highest cliffs in Africa, before heading back down to the coast. Tarred roads lead right to the campsites, suitable for any vehicle.
In the southern Drakensberg, Underberg and Himeville are the bases for the Sani Pass, one of the most spectacular mountain roads in southern Africa. The last hairpins, between the South African border post and Lesotho, are a steep track for 4x4s only. At the top, on the high Basotho plateau, spend a night at Sani Top under a vast sky before driving back down the same pass.
Heading north, the N2 runs past sugar cane fields to St Lucia, its hippos and the wild beaches of iSimangaliso. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, the cradle of white rhino conservation, comes before crossing Eswatini through the Ezulwini Valley. The trip ends at Kruger National Park and Nelspruit, another departure city of our partners, as a one-way hire.
The best time to leave from Durban: mild, sunny and almost dry days, a sea between 21 and 24 °C, and low vegetation that makes wildlife easier to spot in the Zululand reserves. At altitude, the Drakensberg has freezing nights and snowfalls that sometimes close the Sani Pass: pack warm clothes.
The southern spring turns the hills of the Midlands and the Drakensberg green again, and late-afternoon storms return to the coast. November remains a pleasant month for both the beach and the parks, which are still quiet, and humpback whales still pass offshore on their migration south.
Humid heat, a sea at 25 °C and sometimes violent thunderstorms: this is the season for swimming in the Indian Ocean and for sea turtles nesting on the beaches of northern iSimangaliso. South African holidays in December and January fill the coast and its campsites. In the mountains, set off hiking early, before the afternoon storms.
Most pleasant months: May to September, November.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 °C | 21 °C | 101 mm | 11 h/day | 25 °C |
| Feb | 28 °C | 21 °C | 111 mm | 10 h/day | 25 °C |
| Mar | 27 °C | 20 °C | 95 mm | 10 h/day | 25 °C |
| Apr | 25 °C | 18 °C | 107 mm | 9 h/day | 25 °C |
| May | 24 °C | 15 °C | 69 mm | 9 h/day | 24 °C |
| Jun | 23 °C | 13 °C | 22 mm | 10 h/day | 22 °C |
| Jul | 22 °C | 12 °C | 25 mm | 9 h/day | 22 °C |
| Aug | 23 °C | 13 °C | 32 mm | 9 h/day | 21 °C |
| Sep | 23 °C | 15 °C | 68 mm | 9 h/day | 21 °C |
| Oct | 24 °C | 16 °C | 99 mm | 9 h/day | 22 °C |
| Nov | 25 °C | 18 °C | 90 mm | 10 h/day | 23 °C |
| Dec | 26 °C | 20 °C | 103 mm | 10 h/day | 24 °C |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
King Shaka airport is at La Mercy, about thirty kilometres north of the city centre, right next to the N2. By picking up the vehicle there, you head straight for Ballito and Zululand, or join the N3 to the Drakensberg via the western bypass, without crossing the city centre or the port area. Avoid rush hour around Umhlanga.
The N3, which climbs to Pietermaritzburg, the Midlands and Johannesburg, is a toll road, with toll plazas at Mariannhill and Mooi River; the N2 also has some north and south of Durban. You pay at the booth, by bank card or in rand: keep some cash for the small roads of Zululand and reserve entrances.
The port of Durban, one of the busiest in Africa, feeds a constant stream of lorries on the N3, especially on the long descent of Town Hill towards Pietermaritzburg. Keep your distance, only overtake on clear stretches and watch out for fog, frequent in the Midlands around Howick and Mooi River.
The beaches of the Golden Mile, Umhlanga and the South Coast are watched by lifeguards and protected by shark nets maintained by the province. Only swim between the flags, as rip currents are strong, and avoid murky water after heavy summer storms, near river mouths.
Avis Safari Rental is based at King Shaka International Airport, in La Mercy, and Bobo Campers, which has no fixed depot, meets you at the airport. Britz, Bushlore Africa and Maui hand over their motorhomes and 4x4 campers in Durban, at the address given in your booking confirmation. Agree on the handover time with the rental company before you arrive.
The price depends mainly on the season, the length of hire, the model chosen, motorhome or 4x4 camper, and any one-way or cross-border fees. Run a search with your exact dates: you will get the real prices of the available rental companies, mandatory fees included, ready to book straight away.
Yes. Johannesburg and Pretoria can be reached in one long day via the N3, Nelspruit and Hoedspruit, at the gates of Kruger National Park, via Zululand and Eswatini, and East London via the Wild Coast. All are departure cities of our partners: any one-way fee is added to the displayed price as soon as you enter the return city.
Both countries are close by: the Sani Pass leads to Lesotho and several border posts link Zululand to Eswatini. You need a passport, a written authorisation from the rental company to take the vehicle out of South Africa, often for a fee, and sometimes a road tax at the border. Check the permitted and insured countries in the offer conditions.
For the Sani Pass, reserve tracks or a crossing of Lesotho, take a 4x4 camper: Toyota Hilux Bush Camper, Ford Ranger Luxury Safari Camper or GWM P 300 Safari Camper, for two to four people. For the coast and the tarred roads of the Drakensberg, a Discoverer 4 or Discoverer 6 motorhome sleeps a family of up to six.
Very easy to book, however the reservation was for a diesel model and the model presented was petrol. Finally, the return address was complicated to find.
Booking for the first time was canceled by the site as the provider had no more availability, and the second proposal is double the price!
The motorhome is rented out simply, quickly, and professionally.
A foreign licence written in English, with the holder's photo and signature, is generally recognised; otherwise, bring an international driving permit, which some rental companies require anyway. Each also sets a minimum age and a minimum number of years of driving. Traffic drives on the left: an automatic gearbox makes the first kilometres out of Durban easier.
Overnight parking outside designated sites is not advisable. Caravan parks line the North and South Coasts, at Ballito, Scottburgh or St Lucia. In the Drakensberg, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the provincial parks authority, runs campsites at the foot of the cliffs, such as Mahai in Royal Natal or Monk's Cowl at Champagne Castle.
In June and July, huge shoals of sardines move up the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, followed by dolphins, Cape gannets, sharks and sometimes whales. The phenomenon varies from year to year: watch for it from the beaches between Port Shepstone and Durban, or on a boat trip with a local operator.
Durban, the coast up to St Lucia and the Drakensberg are outside the malaria zone. A risk exists, mainly during the southern summer, in the far north-east of the province towards Kosi Bay and Ndumo, as well as around Kruger National Park and in the lowlands of Eswatini. Ask a doctor for advice before planning these stages.
The only customer who left a review after a departure from Durban gives a rating of 4.0 out of 5: they found booking "very easy", but received a petrol model instead of the diesel booked and struggled to find the return address. Check these two points when you pick up the vehicle.
Several months ahead for a departure between mid-December and mid-January or at Easter, when South African families flock to the KwaZulu-Natal coast, and for 4x4 campers, in high demand in the southern winter for the reserves and Lesotho. The rest of the year, a few weeks are usually enough to find an available motorhome.
King Shaka International Airport has frequent domestic flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town, as well as a few direct international connections, notably via the major Gulf hubs. By road, Durban is one long day from Johannesburg via the N3. Once there, you pick up the vehicle at the airport or in town, depending on the rental company.
Durban is the gateway to KwaZulu-Natal, the South African province that brings together, within a few hundred kilometres, a tropical coast on the Indian Ocean, the walls of the Drakensberg, the Zululand reserves, home to rhinos, elephants and lions, and the iSimangaliso wetland. Lesotho, via the Sani Pass, and Eswatini extend the journey to two mountain kingdoms.
With seven partner companies, from the family motorhome to the 4x4 camper built for tracks, the choice covers every travel style, and several pick-ups take place directly at the airport. Johannesburg, Pretoria, Nelspruit and East London, other departure cities of our partners, make it possible to plan a one-way trip to Kruger or the Wild Coast. Finally, the southern winter, dry and mild from May to September, offers the best conditions to combine beaches, safaris and mountains.
