Car hire and driving in Pietermaritzburg
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 70 km (43 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.
Drives from Pietermaritzburg
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pietermaritzburg to Mpumalanga | South Africa | 32 km (20 mi) | about 29 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Pinetown | South Africa | 53 km (33 mi) | about 48 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Ntuzuma | South Africa | 55 km (34 mi) | about 51 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Durban | South Africa | 67 km (42 mi) | about 1 h 1 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to KwaDukuza | South Africa | 93 km (58 mi) | about 1 h 25 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Ladysmith | South Africa | 132 km (82 mi) | about 2 h 1 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Richards Bay | South Africa | 185 km (115 mi) | about 2 h 49 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Vryheid | South Africa | 209 km (130 mi) | about 3 h 11 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Newcastle | South Africa | 212 km (131 mi) | about 3 h 14 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Mthatha | South Africa | 268 km (166 mi) | about 4 h 5 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Standerton | South Africa | 319 km (198 mi) | about 4 h 52 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Ermelo | South Africa | 345 km (215 mi) | about 5 h 16 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg | South Africa | 444 km (276 mi) | about 6 h 47 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Cape Town | South Africa | 1,228 km (763 mi) | about 18 h 43 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Pretoria | South Africa | 482 km (300 mi) | about 7 h 21 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Soweto | South Africa | 448 km (278 mi) | about 6 h 50 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Gqeberha | South Africa | 661 km (411 mi) | about 10 h 5 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Soshanguve | South Africa | 513 km (319 mi) | about 7 h 50 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Evaton | South Africa | 424 km (263 mi) | about 6 h 28 min |
| Pietermaritzburg to Benoni | South Africa | 432 km (269 mi) | about 6 h 35 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 Pietermaritzburg?
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.