Flying between two African cities means skipping everything in between: the small towns, the roadside eateries, the changing scenery. Tour operators and industry bodies across Southern Africa argue that road travel is an underused way to spread tourism money beyond the usual highlights — and they say the barriers holding it back are fixable.
South African operator Calvinos Shuttles and Tours, which runs cross-border transport within the SADC region under a valid operating permit, says demand is growing for flexible, personalised journeys across borders. Their pitch: with long distances, unfamiliar roads and paperwork to handle, many visitors want the freedom of a road trip without the stress of driving. For those travellers, professional cross-border transport offers the middle ground — you still pass through the villages and viewpoints, but someone else handles the vehicle documentation, insurance and border logistics.
The economic argument is a strong one. Money spent along a driving route reaches guesthouses, restaurants, guides and small businesses that never see a tourist arriving by plane. That matters most in rural areas with no air connectivity, which currently miss out almost entirely.
How concentrated is the current picture? Very. SATSA CEO David Frost points to turnover and room-night data from leading members showing that between 2023 and 2025, Kruger and the Western Cape alone accounted for 70-75% of business — before the Garden Route is even added. Meanwhile, self-drive tourism from Europe hasn't fully bounced back post-COVID: in 2025, UK arrivals hit 92.5% of 2019 levels, Germany 90.1% and France 81.8%. The encouraging news is that UK and French numbers are trending up, and these are traditionally the markets most drawn to self-drive holidays.
So what's blocking progress? Border procedures, inconsistent vehicle rules and insurance requirements between countries top the list, alongside patchy road conditions, signage and emergency services. Frost is blunt: poor roads and safety concerns stop visitors from leaving the familiar routes, and make multi-stop itineraries hard for operators to sell. The proposed fixes include better coordination between border authorities, clearer travel information, and joint regional marketing that promotes shared multi-country routes rather than each destination going it alone.
For travellers, the takeaway is that Africa's road trips are becoming more accessible even before the infrastructure catches up. Guided and shuttle-based cross-border options let you experience the continent at ground level — wildlife corridors, cultural stops, towns you'd never fly to — without navigating borders solo. And if you do want to self-drive, sticking to established routes like South Africa's Garden Route or the run to Kruger remains the easiest entry point, with more ambitious SADC journeys best tackled through an operator until regulations smooth out.
