Car hire prices at Cape Town International Airport

For November 2026 at CPT, a Compact car such as a Toyota Corolla Quest averages £31 a day booked around a month before your trip, giving you a benchmark for comparing your quote. At that lead time, an Economy car such as a Volkswagen Polo Vivo averages £21 a day, while a Mini car such as a Toyota Agya averages £16. In the last 2 weeks, the Compact car averages £34 a day, so waiting costs £3 more a day for November 2026. Use the price checker to compare prices for your exact dates.

For November 2026 at CPT, book around a month before your trip: a Compact car such as a Toyota Corolla Quest averages £31 a day, against £34 in the last 2 weeks. Across the year, a Compact car booked around 9 months before your trip averages £41 a day, so you have not missed a lower price by leaving it later. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 65% of our customers booked within a month of pickup, so booking within that window is not unusually late.

At CPT, Firefly Powered by Hertz and Sixt are joint cheapest for a Compact car over the last 12 months, averaging £23 a day, so compare their terms before choosing. Sixt has an airport desk, requires a credit card and holds a deposit of £383 on average. Firefly Powered by Hertz and Sixt do not yet have enough reviews for a score. For a scored alternative, Tempest averages £33 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months, from 610 prices, and scores 92/100 from 79 reviews.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Choose Tempest for the best-reviewed option at CPT: it scores 92/100 from 79 reviews over the last 5 months, and its desk wait averages 8 minutes. Tempest is not the cheapest: its Compact car averages £33 a day over the last 12 months, from 610 prices. Firefly Powered by Hertz and Sixt jointly average the lowest price for a Compact car over the last 12 months at £23 a day, but neither yet has enough reviews for a score, so choose Tempest if a review score matters more to you than saving £10 a day.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

You need a credit card at all 13 checked desks at CPT, with average deposits ranging from £128 at Avis to £1,447 at Budget; none accepts a debit card. If you plan to use a debit card, apply that filter before comparing prices rather than assuming a cheap car will be available to you. Check the deposit and card rule beside each car to make sure your credit card can cover the hold. Extras charged at the desk are listed under each car with their prices.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

At CPT, check your credit card and collection time before booking, because every checked desk requires credit and desk waits can delay your departure. All 13 checked desks require a credit card, so do not arrive relying on a debit card. Check the deposit before committing: Budget holds £1,447 on average, against £128 at Avis. Allow for Green Motion's average 27-minute desk wait if you have an onward appointment; Tempest averages 8 minutes.

Fuel is full tank out, full tank back on 100% of prices at Cape Town International Airport, so there is no fuel charge to be surprised by.

For 5 people at CPT, consider an Intermediate car such as a Toyota Corolla Cross at £41 a day in November 2026, booked around a month before your trip, but check that 3 bags are enough. At that lead time in November 2026, an Economy car such as a Volkswagen Polo Vivo costs £21 a day, but seats 5 while taking only 2 bags, so choose it only if your luggage fits. For 4 bags, a Fullsize car such as a Toyota Fortuner costs £74 a day at that lead time in November 2026, though its 5 seats still exceed its bag capacity. Automatic cars make up 60% of cars offered over the last 12 months, so include them in your search, but across the full price history, a Compact car with automatic transmission averages £42 a day against £31 for a manual Compact car, or £11 more a day, from 24,783 prices. Electric and hybrid cars are not offered in these prices, so plan on another powertrain.