Travel information South Africa for motorcycle tours

When safari, the Cape and a motorcycle tour in South Africa work best, what entry requires, and what you need to know about roads, fuel and emergency numbers.

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The essentials on South Africa at a glance

Updated: September 2026

Visa: Visa-free for up to 90 days for travellers from DE, AT, CH and the EU; Since 1 July 2026, a digital Traveller Declaration is mandatory before entry; a return ticket is often required
Passport: Valid at least 30 days beyond departure, 2 blank pages
Best season: May to September (dry season in the northeast/Kruger region)
Currency: South African rand (ZAR); card almost everywhere, cash for rural petrol stations and toll booths
Time zone: SAST (UTC+2), no daylight saving
Traffic: Drive on the left
Helmet & gear: Helmet with chin strap mandatory for rider and pillion (ECE 22.06)
Main route: N2 Garden Route, N1/N3/N12 - consistently well-developed tarred network
Fuel: 95 octane nationwide, 93 near the coast; In the Karoo/Northern Cape, sometimes 150-200 km between petrol stations
Intl. driving permit: International driving permit (1949 Geneva Convention) recommended; Only covers the vehicle classes on your home licence, valid 1 year

Entry

Visa & Entry Requirements

What EU citizens need for a visa-free entry into South Africa

Tourist entry (Visitor's Permit)

Stay: Up to 90 days
Cost: Free
Where to apply: Border post or airport on entry
Validity: Once per entry

Extension of the Visitor's Permit

Stay: A further up to 90 days
Cost: Fee, form BI-1738
Where to apply: Department of Home Affairs, apply before it expires
Validity: At the authority's discretion, several weeks' processing time

Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your own motorcycle

Stay: Tied to the validity of the Visitor's Permit
Cost: Free
Where to apply: Customs post at the land border crossing
Validity: Up to 90 days, extendable at SARS

Visa types for South Africa with length of stay, cost and where to apply
Visa type	Stay	Cost	Where to apply	Validity
Tourist entry (Visitor's Permit)	Up to 90 days	Free	Border post or airport on entry	Once per entry
Extension of the Visitor's Permit	A further up to 90 days	Fee, form BI-1738	Department of Home Affairs, apply before it expires	At the authority's discretion, several weeks' processing time
Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for your own motorcycle	Tied to the validity of the Visitor's Permit	Free	Customs post at the land border crossing	Up to 90 days, extendable at SARS

Your own bike

Entering with Your Own Motorcycle

Carnet, insurance, vehicle papers and the common border crossings

Checklist for the border

Vehicle registration document (original + copy) and international registration certificate
Apply for the Temporary Import Permit (TIP) at customs at the land border crossing
Carnet de Passages only needed if shipping by air/sea freight
Notarised power of attorney from the vehicle owner, if the motorcycle is not registered to the rider
International driving permit in addition to your national licence
Passport with at least 30 days' remaining validity beyond departure and 2 blank pages
Complete the digital Traveller Declaration before entry (mandatory since 1 July 2026)
Get a COMESA Yellow Card if the route continues via Mozambique, Zambia or Malawi

South Africa does not require a Carnet de Passages at a land border crossing - the free Temporary Import Permit at customs is enough. A Carnet is only needed for air or sea freight, and thanks to the Road Accident Fund, you don't need separate liability insurance either.

Documents

Driving Licence & Documents

National licence plus an international driving permit under the Geneva Convention

Valid national motorcycle licence (Class A/A2)
International driving permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention, valid 1 year
Carry a copy of your licence separately from the original

Season

Best Time to Travel in South Africa

The Cape region and the northeast of South Africa sit in entirely opposite climate zones

Best season: May to September (northeast/Kruger)

Rideability by month and region
Region	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Northeast (Kruger, Lowveld, KwaZulu-Natal, Sani Pass)	Jan: Rideable, with limits	Feb: Rideable, with limits	Mar: Rideable, with limits	Apr: Best riding window	May: Best riding window	Jun: Best riding window	Jul: Best riding window	Aug: Best riding window	Sep: Best riding window	Oct: Rideable, with limits	Nov: Rideable, with limits	Dec: Rideable, with limits
Cape Region & Garden Route	Jan: Best riding window	Feb: Best riding window	Mar: Best riding window	Apr: Best riding window	May: Rideable, with limits	Jun: Rideable, with limits	Jul: Rideable, with limits	Aug: Rideable, with limits	Sep: Rideable, with limits	Oct: Best riding window	Nov: Best riding window	Dec: Best riding window

Best riding window
Rideable, with limits
Not rideable

Dry season in the northeast with dust-dry tracks and low water levels at fords; the Cape region is then cooler and wetter.

Matching departures in South Africa The best window is May to September (northeast/Kruger). See the tours that start within it. Tours in South Africa

Roads & tracks

Roads & Mountain Passes in South Africa

From the tarred sweepers of the Garden Route through the Karoo to the gravel Sani Pass

N2 Garden Route: Cape Town to Storms River

600 km

100 % Paved

Condition: Consistently well-developed, winding tarred road between Wilderness and Knysna
After rain: No restriction, the tarmac dries quickly
Daily distance: 250 to 300 km with stops along the way
Fuel: Petrol stations every 30 to 60 km along the route
Passes & altitude: Outeniqua Pass, Robinson Pass
Permits: none

Sani Pass: Underberg (RSA) to the Lesotho border

14 km

Condition: Steep gravel/loose-rock track with tight hairpins, a popular pass ride for adventure motorcycles
After rain: Slippery in the rain, rockfall on the upper hairpins - the climb is then not recommended
Daily distance: A pure pass ride, approx. 1.5 hrs for the 14 km, not a stage on a longer route
Fuel: Last petrol station in Underberg, none after that until Lesotho
Passes & altitude: Sani Pass, 2876 m (South Africa's highest rideable pass crossing)
Permits: No permit needed, but border formalities on both sides right at the pass

R62 Karoo Route: Oudtshoorn to Barrydale

190 km

100 % Paved

Condition: Little traffic, wide bends through the Little Karoo, sometimes heat and crosswind
After rain: No restriction
Daily distance: 200 to 250 km
Fuel: Petrol stations in Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, Ladismith, Barrydale, every 40 to 60 km
Passes & altitude: Seweweekspoort (optional gravel side route)
Permits: none

N9/R61 Karoo Crossing: Graaff-Reinet to Cradock

150 km

100 % Paved

Condition: Lonely tarred road through the semi-desert, hardly any towns
After rain: The tarmac remains fully rideable, fords on side roads can briefly carry water after heavy rain
Daily distance: 300 km and more possible, hardly any bends
Fuel: Petrol station gaps of up to 150-200 km, fill up in good time
Passes & altitude: none worth mentioning
Permits: none

Sections with length, surface, condition and daily distance
Section	km	Surface	Condition	After rain	Daily distance	Fuel	Passes & altitude	Permits
N2 Garden Route: Cape Town to Storms River	600	100 % Paved	Consistently well-developed, winding tarred road between Wilderness and Knysna	No restriction, the tarmac dries quickly	250 to 300 km with stops along the way	Petrol stations every 30 to 60 km along the route	Outeniqua Pass, Robinson Pass	none
Sani Pass: Underberg (RSA) to the Lesotho border	14	–	Steep gravel/loose-rock track with tight hairpins, a popular pass ride for adventure motorcycles	Slippery in the rain, rockfall on the upper hairpins - the climb is then not recommended	A pure pass ride, approx. 1.5 hrs for the 14 km, not a stage on a longer route	Last petrol station in Underberg, none after that until Lesotho	Sani Pass, 2876 m (South Africa's highest rideable pass crossing)	No permit needed, but border formalities on both sides right at the pass
R62 Karoo Route: Oudtshoorn to Barrydale	190	100 % Paved	Little traffic, wide bends through the Little Karoo, sometimes heat and crosswind	No restriction	200 to 250 km	Petrol stations in Oudtshoorn, Calitzdorp, Ladismith, Barrydale, every 40 to 60 km	Seweweekspoort (optional gravel side route)	none
N9/R61 Karoo Crossing: Graaff-Reinet to Cradock	150	100 % Paved	Lonely tarred road through the semi-desert, hardly any towns	The tarmac remains fully rideable, fords on side roads can briefly carry water after heavy rain	300 km and more possible, hardly any bends	Petrol station gaps of up to 150-200 km, fill up in good time	none worth mentioning	none

Fuel

Fuel, Range & Payment

Fuel quality, payment methods and distances between petrol stations

95 octane unleaded

Availability: Available nationwide, the standard grade

93 octane unleaded

Availability: Coastal regions and highveld from approx. 1500 m

Diesel

Availability: Nationwide, also available as a low-sulphur variant

Fuel grades, prices and the longest legs between stations
Grade	Availability
95 octane unleaded	Available nationwide, the standard grade
93 octane unleaded	Coastal regions and highveld from approx. 1500 m
Diesel	Nationwide, also available as a low-sulphur variant

Safety

Staying Safe on South African Roads

Emergency numbers to know and how to behave on the road while riding

Emergency numbers

Police (nationwide) 10111
Ambulance service 10177
Mobile emergency number (free, even without credit) 112
Cape Town municipal emergency line 107

Health

Health and Vaccinations in South Africa

Malaria protection, vaccinations and the gap in many travel insurance policies

Malaria prophylaxis or stand-by medication for the Lowveld/Kruger route
Mosquito repellent and long clothing at dusk in malaria areas
Travel medicine kit with anti-diarrhoea and pain medication - rural pharmacies are scarce
Up-to-date vaccination cover for hepatitis A/B, tetanus

Many travel insurance policies exclude riding motorcycles over 125cc, or require an add-on module - check this before booking, not after an accident.

Packing list

Extra Kit for Your South Africa Trip

What South Africa adds on top of your standard motorcycle packing list

Malaria prophylaxis or stand-by medication, if the route goes through the Lowveld/Kruger region
Power bank/solar charger for scheduled power cuts (load shedding)
Cash in small ZAR notes for toll booths and rural petrol stations without a card terminal
A second, waterproof copy of all vehicle and ID documents, kept separate from the originals
COMESA Yellow Card only if continuing to Mozambique, Zambia or Malawi (not needed in South Africa itself)
Set up a travel eSIM in advance to avoid the RICA registration needed for a local SIM