So you want to take a self drive trip around Africa, but you have little idea as to what is the best or most suitable vehicle for the job. Perhaps you want to be able to drive some of the most famous routes such as the Sani Pass in The Drakensberg Mountains. Now there is no shortage of choice of vehicles, and truth be told, you can drive the length of Africa in almost anything. Such vehicles that have been driven from Cairo to Cape Town include a double decker London bus, a tractor and a moped scooter.
Now of course there are places you won’t be able to go with certain vehicles, and you will be limited as to how much stuff you can take with you, such as on a motorbike, or your own feet, but for the most part you will be ok with almost anything on an average trip through Africa. However, if you want to able to go almost anywhere and to take a fair amount of gear with you, your choice of vehicle is now that much more important.
What I think most people will agree with is that the most iconic and versatile vehicle in Africa is the Landrover Defender, followed closely by the Toyota Landcruiser. The older the model with the least amount of electronic controls, the better, as few ‘garages’ in the deepest parts of Africa will have the computer neccessary to change a faulty fuel injector or a fan belt, simple things you can otherwise do on the side of the road with basic tools.
Sani Pass self drive – The Road to The Roof of Africa
Our vehicle of choice is a 1998 model Landrover Defender TDi 90 (short wheel base) There are absolutely no electronic controls and we still have a fuel consumption of 10L per 100km, all while weighing in at just under 2 metric tons fully loaded.
As soon as we got the Landy we were ready for our first trip. We started off with an easy cruise through Kruger National Park.
See:
Kruger National Park – 6 Breathtaking Highlights From The North
And short video:
Kruger National Park – Scenes From The North
But then we thought it’s time to test our trusty steed on something a bit more challenging.
Self driving Sani Pass Lesotho
One route I have always been wanting to drive since I was a small boy was the Sani Pass. It is probably one of the most well known mountain passes in Africa, and for a number of reasons. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking, all year round, with snow in the winter and green grass and thunderstorms in the summer. But most importantly, it needs to be done in a high clearance 4×4 with low range gears. However, you can also do it on a bicycle or your own feet, if you feel fit enough. Walking and cycling the pass is done on a regular basis, you can walk up and down again in the same day as the pass is only about 9km long.
As of writing this article, the pass is still well graded gravel, however, there are plans to tar the pass in the near future. A lot of people are arguing that tarring the pass will attract too many inexperinced drivers in all types of vehicles, but I am sure they will put measures in place to prevent accidents.
I must admit that I was a little nervous when we started up as I had heard a few horror stories of how dangerous the pass can be, especially when it is wet or under snow. We had neither, so the drive up was ‘easy’, for me anyway. The key to a safe passage either up or down is to take it slow. Both to be able to enjoy the scenery and to basically not drive over the edge as some of the hairpin bends are really steep and sharp. I used low range 1st gear most of the way up. Should I have used high 1st, I would have gone too fast and over the edge, or I would have had to ride the clutch, which is never a good thing if I want it to last, which I do. The gradient of the pass is about 1:10.
Also be sure your brakes are working well, both for going up or down. When going up you may want to stop for photos. Having brakes on such an occasion is a very good thing. It is maybe a better idea to keep your foot on the brakes and let someone else take the photos, or take them from your seat, unless you trust your hand-brake implicitly. I didn’t, not on such a steep slope.
As mentioned above, the pass itself is only about 9km long, so it shouldn’t take too long to drive up. You will first pass through the South African border post at the bottom only reaching the Lesotho border post at the very top. In other words, you need a valid passport to drive the Sani Pass. They didn’t ask me for my car papers, they seem to be very lax on this, but have them with you anyway, just in case. You will need to pay ZAR 30 toll upon entering Lesotho. On the other hand, if you are not confident enough to drive it yourself or you don’t have a suitable vehicle, you can arrange a trip up with one of the many local tour operators. You will still need a passport.
There is accommodation at: Sani Lodge Backpackers Hostel, near the bottom of the pass in South Africa. Then there is Sani Mountain Lodge at the top in Lesotho. You can arrange guided tours at any of those establishments.
The cherry on the top, or shall we say pub, is the highest pub in Africa at 2874 meters above sea level. They have a big window and an outside deck looking straight down the pass. You will quickly forget the price you paid for a beer or gluwein (they take credit cards) as you sip it by a roaring log fire while enjoying some of the best scenery this great continent has to offer.
For more information about travelling further into Lesotho: 13 Interesting Facts About Lesotho
Take a look at a short video of our 1st trip up Sani Pass:
What was your most memorable mountain pass experience?
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Great article! I love the driving experience when I am travelling and the rougher the road the better. Sani pass seems like an incredible adventure that is right up my alley.
The thing with the Sani pass is the road itself is smooth well graded gravel, most of the way. It’s just that it’s incredibly steep with very tight hair-pin bends. While a high clearance vehicle is not really necessary anymore because of good maintenance, a vehicle with low range gears might save you from slipping your clutch too much on the way up or burning your brakes on the way down.
I am surprised to learn that the Sani Pass is only 9 km. I shall make a note to visit the highest pub in Africa. Seems like a very worthwhile thing to do. Lovely article. Any drive on an unpaved road is a great one!
You might want to drive Sani sooner rather than later as they are planning to tar/pave it!
I don’t know which is more entertaining to me; travelling through Africa by double decker bus or tractor! hahaha. I think your 4×4 was a much better choice. And a drink at the highest pub? Totally worth it- especially if you can just put it on your credit card and forget about it til later!
That was a great reward for me as a reader, reading about that Highest Pub in Africa! What an adventure. One day we will be able to do the Sani Pass too~
What a beautiful experience! I had never heard of the Sani Pass, shame on me! On the pics, it looks like you were almost alone as well! I imagine that that pub charges quite a bit for a pint, but indeed a must-do experience! 🙂
We were almost alone, that day. It can get quite busy though, with long convoys making their way either up or down. Unfortunately, there is no telling how busy it will be on any given day of the year, you just have to wing it and hope for the best. 🙂
This looks like a great adventure! I’m not sure how confident I would be to do self-drive as a solo female traveller. I’m hopeless with mechanics at home! The scenery looks fantastic. I really do want to explore South Africa soon
Great article. This landscape reminds me of a couple place that I’ve visited, but it looks credible. I’ll have to add it to my list as South Africa is full of places that I want to see. Thanks for the tips!
That was when it was dry, without snow. We plan to go back when it’s green and/or white, but then the drive will be much more challenging 🙂
Sounds like a great trip, and yeah I would be pretty nervous driving some of those roads!
By the way, your landrover is freakin’ awesome!
We also think our Landy is pretty awesome 😉 Go further into Lesotho, and nothing less than a Landy is required to drive some of those ‘roads’. You don’t need to be nervous driving through places like this in such a very capable vehicle 🙂
This is literally perfect timing for me! I’m in Joburg now, just picked up my two-month long truck rental (border letters and all) and will be heading onto Kruger tomorrow morning. I’m bookmarking this place, and will definitely make the journey there.
Do it! It might be slightly chilly there at this time of year, with a high chance of snow, but spectacular non the less.
Looks amazing, I would be looking forward to having a beer in the highest place in South Africa. The scenery is stunning, i could only imagine what it would look like with snow on the peaks
Sani has many seasons, which all look quite beautifully different, winter snow is one of them. Small correction though, it is the highest pub on the whole continent of Africa, but not the highest point in South Africa. That is further up North in the Drakensberg at an altitude of 3700m, but there is nothing up there.
It looks so barren D: Africa isn’t a place I think of when thinking about road trips, but it does look amazing. Also, highest pub in Africa! Awesome!
Africa is all about road trips, with perfectly paved roads that seem to go on forever through barren desert, coastal trips through lush forests, and plenty mountain passes, and then some. Africa has routes that will rival Route 66 in the USA, among others. 🙂
Wow what an experience. I would love to see this in person. Someone else would have to drive while i snap photos lol.
There are plenty of local tour operators who will drive you up, giving you all the opportunity to take lots of photos 🙂
Fascinating. I’d love to do such a trip myself one day 🙂
True, the less electronics the better in this case 🙂
You should take a trip up there one day. Yes, the less electronics the better in some of the more remote corners of Africa.
This looks absolutely amazing. I would love to check this out for myself and experience the advebture for myself.
I love Lesotho, its mountains are so beautiful, its air so clean. I was last there in 2013 and I believe many more roads have been tarred by the Chinese. Sad in a way, especially that Sani Pass is being tarred too – though I do understand it will make things easier for the locals.
Wow this looks like quite the experience! I loved your video too with the music! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Leah
Hi! I know this is a pretty old blog post, but I wanted to ask: at what time of year were these pictures taken? My parents are coming here (I live in SA) late August – early September, and as that is basically the end of winter there, I don’t want them to get their hopes up thinking it will be all green and lush, and flowing waterfalls. I’m thinking that it will look more like this – could you possibly tell me what month these pics were taken in? Thanks so much!
Hi Kate,
This trip and these photos were taken in September. We then came back in November and it was still bone dry, and still very cold. We were camping:-) Truth be told, there has been snow in The Drakensberg in December, but that is extremely rare. Another thing is, while it does look nice and green in high summer, the excessive summer rains do make the pass quite dangerous, same goes for the snow in the dead of winter. So yes, August/September is usually a good time to go up, but it will most likely still be brown and dry.
Thanks for the reply 🙂 I showed this blog to my parents just to make sure they understood what it will look like (from the point of lack of vegetation). But honestly, in my humble opinion, bashing up Sani Pass in a 4×4 is the main reason to go to Lesotho or be in that area, so I think it’s good we’re going in winter.
Just take lots of warm clothes as it can get quite chilly up there in winter 🙂
When is the dry season? ie no rain, as I wouldn’t want to risk the trip on slippery roads
The ‘dry’ season is in winter, from around May to September although you could have snow instead of rain. But late winter is maybe your best chance of total dryness. If in doubt about driving it yourself, there are plenty local tour companies that will be able to take you up safely. Either way, the weather can be unpredictable in the mountains, so keep an eye on it.