Car hire and driving in Durban
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In South Africa traffic drives on the left. Picking up at DUR means 28 km (17 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.
Drives from Durban
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durban to Mpumalanga | South Africa | 38 km (24 mi) | about 35 min |
| Durban to KwaDukuza | South Africa | 64 km (40 mi) | about 59 min |
| Durban to Pietermaritzburg | South Africa | 67 km (42 mi) | about 1 h 1 min |
| Durban to Richards Bay | South Africa | 154 km (96 mi) | about 2 h 21 min |
| Durban to Ladysmith | South Africa | 189 km (117 mi) | about 2 h 53 min |
| Durban to Vryheid | South Africa | 233 km (145 mi) | about 3 h 34 min |
| Durban to Newcastle | South Africa | 257 km (160 mi) | about 3 h 55 min |
| Durban to Mthatha | South Africa | 288 km (179 mi) | about 4 h 24 min |
| Durban to Standerton | South Africa | 369 km (229 mi) | about 5 h 38 min |
| Durban to Ermelo | South Africa | 384 km (238 mi) | about 5 h 51 min |
| Durban to eMbalenhle | South Africa | 417 km (259 mi) | about 6 h 21 min |
| Durban to Botshabelo | South Africa | 421 km (262 mi) | about 6 h 26 min |
| Durban to Johannesburg | South Africa | 501 km (311 mi) | about 7 h 38 min |
| Durban to Cape Town | South Africa | 1,272 km (790 mi) | about 19 h 24 min |
| Durban to Pretoria | South Africa | 536 km (333 mi) | about 8 h 10 min |
| Durban to Soweto | South Africa | 506 km (314 mi) | about 7 h 43 min |
| Durban to Gqeberha | South Africa | 685 km (426 mi) | about 10 h 27 min |
| Durban to Soshanguve | South Africa | 567 km (352 mi) | about 8 h 38 min |
| Durban to Evaton | South Africa | 483 km (300 mi) | about 7 h 22 min |
| Durban to Benoni | South Africa | 487 km (303 mi) | about 7 h 26 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Durban?
The left, as everywhere in South Africa.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.