Car hire and driving in East London
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 ELS means 8 km (5 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.
Drives from East London
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| East London to Bhisho | South Africa | 48 km (30 mi) | about 44 min |
| East London to Queenstown | South Africa | 158 km (98 mi) | about 2 h 24 min |
| East London to Mthatha | South Africa | 179 km (111 mi) | about 2 h 43 min |
| East London to Gqeberha | South Africa | 238 km (148 mi) | about 3 h 37 min |
| East London to Kariega | South Africa | 247 km (154 mi) | about 3 h 46 min |
| East London to Botshabelo | South Africa | 432 km (268 mi) | about 6 h 35 min |
| East London to Mpumalanga | South Africa | 440 km (273 mi) | about 6 h 43 min |
| East London to Pietermaritzburg | South Africa | 445 km (277 mi) | about 6 h 47 min |
| East London to Pinetown | South Africa | 454 km (282 mi) | about 6 h 55 min |
| East London to Durban | South Africa | 459 km (285 mi) | about 7 h |
| East London to Bloemfontein | South Africa | 462 km (287 mi) | about 7 h 3 min |
| East London to Ntuzuma | South Africa | 465 km (289 mi) | about 7 h 5 min |
| East London to Johannesburg | South Africa | 758 km (471 mi) | about 11 h 33 min |
| East London to Cape Town | South Africa | 886 km (550 mi) | about 13 h 30 min |
| East London to Pretoria | South Africa | 809 km (503 mi) | about 12 h 20 min |
| East London to Soweto | South Africa | 750 km (466 mi) | about 11 h 27 min |
| East London to Soshanguve | South Africa | 839 km (521 mi) | about 12 h 48 min |
| East London to Evaton | South Africa | 721 km (448 mi) | about 11 h |
| East London to Benoni | South Africa | 760 km (472 mi) | about 11 h 36 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 East London?
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.