Vehicle - Insurance

In South Africa insurance is not required, but probably a good idea! There are two basic types of insurance in South Africa: 1-comprehensive and 2-balance of third party liability, fire and theft.

There are many factors which determine the ability to insure and the cost of insuring. If the vehicle is older than 10 years, you are required to present a valuation certificate. Most insurance agencies do not insure short term. Our insurance needs are quite unique. We want to be fully insured in South Africa while we drive around preparing the vehicle, but we also want to be insured for our entire trip with the same company (if it is possible). We found a company called Dial Direct who claim to have the lowest 4x4 insurance on the market. Dial Direct provides full comprehensive coverage in South Africa and many of the countries that we are visiting in Southern/Eastern Africa. For the countries in which they do not provide coverage (primiarly further north), we have been told that we can purchase insurance at the border posts. The insurance premiums for Dial Direct are R182 a month and the excess (deductible) is R975. To get the insurance setup there was also a small admininstration fee of R103.

For people traveling with a non-African registered vehicle, insurance issues seem more straight forward. We have met many people that have driven down from Europe and apparently there are a number of insurance companies that will provide insurance for such a trip.