Before you start

A valid foreign driving licence in English with your photo and signature (or an International Driving Permit if it is not in English)
A smartphone with the Uber and/or Bolt app and a local payment card or cash
Proof of legal residence (visa/permit) plus proof of a Cape Town address (e.g. a utility bill) once you want to convert or buy a car
Patience for queues — licensing departments (DLTCs) are slow and the national licence-card printer has long backlogs

Step-by-step

1
Get around day-to-day with Uber/Bolt and the MyCiTi bus
For most newcomers Uber and Bolt are the default: 24/7, ubiquitous, with GPS tracking and an in-app emergency button. Short city trips run roughly R30-R60 (about US$2-3.50) and an airport run R200-R350 (about US$11-19); always price both apps as fares differ by a few rand. For fixed routes (City Bowl, Atlantic Seaboard, the airport), the MyCiTi bus is clean and reliable — buy a R40 'myconnect' card at a station kiosk or participating retailer and tap on/off.
Mobile appWho: YouImmediate — download the apps on arrivalUber/Bolt city trips ~R30-R60 (US$2-3.50); MyCiTi ~R10.50-R39.50 per trip + R40 card
2
Drive short-term on your foreign licence (English or IDP)
While you are on a temporary/visitor visa you may legally drive on your valid foreign licence as long as it is printed in English and bears your photograph and signature. If it is not in English, carry an International Driving Permit alongside it (the IDP is a translation, not a stand-alone licence). Remember South Africa drives on the LEFT and overtakes on the right. You cannot renew a foreign licence from within South Africa, so this is a stopgap, not a permanent solution.
In personWho: You (driver)Valid while your foreign licence and visa remain validFree (an IDP, obtained in your home country before travel, is typically the only cost)
3
Get a traffic register number (TRN) and convert to an SA licence once resident
Once you take up residence you must convert your foreign licence — permanent residents have a 5-year window from getting residency. First obtain a traffic register number (TRN), the eNaTIS identifier for foreigners, at a registering authority (allow up to ~6 weeks). Then apply at any DLTC with form DL1: you do only an eye test (no K53 driving test), and submit your foreign licence, a confirmation/validity letter from your home authority, a translation if not in an official language, ID/passport with permit, proof of address and ID photos. In Cape Town a confirmation letter from the Traffic Department at 9 Dorp Street (valid 30 days) is part of the process.
In personWho: You, at a registering authority + Driving Licence Testing Centre (DLTC)TRN up to ~6 weeks; conversion roughly 6-10 weeks end-to-end (card printing backlogs add delay)Conversion fee ~R250 (~US$14); translation ~R400 (~US$22) if needed; TRN fee varies by RA
4
Optional: buy, register and insure a car
If you buy a car you need a TRN to appear on eNaTIS. The seller submits a Notification of Change of Ownership; you then register and license the vehicle within 21 days and pay an annual licence 'disc' (roughly R600-R800 / ~US$33-44 for a normal car, renewable online via eNaTIS or your banking app). A roadworthy certificate is required at change of ownership. Crucially, there is no separate compulsory third-party insurance — the Road Accident Fund (covering injury/death only, not your car) is funded by a fuel levy — so private comprehensive insurance is strongly advised. E-tolls apply in Gauteng (Johannesburg/Pretoria), not in Cape Town.
In personWho: You + the seller (or a dealership) + an insurerRegister within 21 days of ownership change; insurance set up same day onlineAnnual licence disc ~R600-R800 (~US$33-44); private insurance varies widely; roadworthy test fee extra
5
Adopt load-shedding and crime-aware driving habits
During load-shedding (power cuts) traffic lights — locally called 'robots' — go dark; legally the intersection becomes a four-way stop (first to stop goes first; if simultaneous, yield to the car on your right), but many drivers ignore this, so approach slowly and look every way before crossing. 'Smash-and-grab' theft happens at intersections and in slow traffic: keep windows up, doors locked, and bags/phones out of sight. Don't drive in unfamiliar areas at night, and keep a gap to the car ahead so you can pull away if needed.
In personWho: You (driver)Ongoing habitFree

Documents you’ll need

Valid foreign driving licence (in English, with photo + signature) and/or an International Driving Permit
Passport with your visa/residence permit, plus a temporary or SA ID once you have one
Proof of Cape Town address (utility bill; if not in your name, an affidavit from the bill-holder)
For conversion: a driving-licence confirmation/validity letter from your home authority, a translation if not in an official SA language, and ID-sized photographs

Things most newcomers don’t know

Most expats never touch public transport beyond MyCiTi — Uber and Bolt are the real default, and they are cheap enough to use daily.

Metrorail trains are unreliable and often unsafe, minibus taxis are chaotic and not newcomer-friendly, and MyCiTi only covers certain corridors, so ride-hailing fills the gap at R30-R60 a trip with safety features like GPS tracking and an emergency button.

Source: Off To Cape Town transport guide; BusinessTech (Uber vs Bolt), 2026

Your foreign licence is fine to drive on now, but the day you become a resident the clock starts — you must convert, and you can't just renew the foreign one from here.

SA law lets you drive on a valid English-language foreign licence (with photo + signature) or with an IDP, but once you take up residence renewal abroad isn't recognised; permanent residents get a 5-year conversion window, done via a TRN and a DLTC eye test (no K53 driving test).

Source: South African Government (gov.za) — convert foreign driving licence; ExpatCapeTown, 2026

There is no compulsory car insurance in South Africa — so without private cover, a crash that damages your car is entirely your problem.

The only mandatory cover is the Road Accident Fund, paid through a fuel levy, and it compensates only injury or death — never vehicle or property damage — so private comprehensive insurance is effectively essential despite not being legally required.

Source: Road Accident Fund (raf.co.za) — Fuel Levy; BusinessTech, 2026

When the power goes out, treat every dark traffic light as a four-way stop and keep your valuables hidden — load-shedding turns intersections into both a traffic and a crime risk.

During load-shedding 'robots' go dark and legally become four-way stops, but compliance is patchy so you must look every way before crossing; the same slow, stationary traffic is where 'smash-and-grab' thieves strike, so windows up, doors locked, bags out of sight.

Source: South African Road Federation (SARF); BusinessTech motoring, 2026

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming you can renew your foreign licence from inside South Africa — you cannot; once resident you must convert it, and missing the window leaves you driving on an expired document.
Relying on Metrorail trains or minibus taxis like a local would — trains are unreliable/unsafe and taxis are chaotic; budget for Uber/Bolt or a car instead.
Buying a car without private insurance, wrongly assuming the fuel-levy Road Accident Fund covers your vehicle — it only covers injury/death, never your car.
Treating a dark intersection as 'go if it looks clear' during load-shedding, or leaving a handbag visible on the passenger seat at a robot — both are common, avoidable causes of crashes and smash-and-grabs.