Frequently Asked Questions

We understand that things don’t always go as planned and therefore have a flexible reservation cancellation policy;

• If you cancel your reservation more than 24 hours in advance of your collection date and time then no cancellation fee will be applied.
• Cancellation less than 24 hours in advance of your collection date and time will incur a cancellation fee of R300.
• Not cancelling your reservation at all will be deemed a “no show” and will incur a penalty equal to one day’s rental charge.

Please contact SANI Car Rental on ++27 (0)11 611 8020 or bookings@sani.co.za to arrange cancellation.

A temporary holding authorisation is a hold on your card to ensure funds for potential charges during your car rental, like rental fees or fuel. It’s not an immediate charge but only reserved. The actual amount, if required, is charged at return, and the hold is released by your bank, typically taking a few days.

Car Rental Pick-up:

• SANI Car Rental initiates a temporary authorisation hold with your bank when collecting the car.
• Your bank may display this as a pending transaction, reducing your available spending balance.
• Although it might seem like a debit on your statement, no funds are deducted from your bank account.
• This hold equals the estimated rental cost including a security authorisation and any accepted extras.

Car Rental Return/Drop-off:

• SANI Car Rental instructs your bank to release the temporary authorisation hold.
• Since it was not an actual debit, the release won’t appear as a transaction but will increase your available balance.
• The release time varies depending on your bank and typically take 3 to 7 working days for South African credit card holders and it can take up to 30 days for international card holders.

Renters and additional drivers must be at least 21 years of age and must have held an unendorsed driver’s licence for more than one year to rent or drive a rental car in South Africa.

Renters and additional drivers who are younger than 21 years of age and have held an unendorsed driver’s licence for more than two years will be permitted to rent or drive a rental car subject to a Young Driver Surcharge.

This policy applies to both local renters and foreign nationals with an international driver’s licence.

We’ve made every effort to ensure that your full rental costs are quoted at the time of reservation, but elective or consequential additional charges may vary based on vehicle group, waivers and vehicle return. These additional charges may include, but are not limited to;

• Additional Waivers
• Fuel
• Late Return
• Valet Charges
• Excess mileage charges
• Accident administration fees
• Excess or Damage charges
• Collection or Recovery fees
• Overdue Penalties
• Traffic Violation Penalties
• Skipped Service Fee
• Fuel Levy

To secure your online reservation with SANI Car Rental a payment of 0%, 25%, 50% or 100% of the rental value is required at the time of booking. The balance of the rental fee along with the prescribed security deposit quoted at the time of booking will be required at the time of collection.

SANI Car Rental accepts all major credit cards, hybrid cheque cards as well as debit cards for payment.

Please note that the applicable security deposit, payable at collection, will vary depending on the type of card used. Whilst we take every care to accurately quote the required deposit at time of booking, SANI Car Rental may not be held responsible for any misrepresentation of the card type prior to collection.  

In the event of an accident with your rental vehicle;

• Attend to any injuries or injured persons. Request medical or emergency services where necessary.
• Do not leave the scene of the accident or admit liability.
• Where a 3rd party is involved or witnesses present, ensure that you gather all relevant details such as;
  • Name and surname
  • ID/Passport number
  • Vehicle registration
  • Driver’s licence details
  • Insurance information
  • Contact details

• Notify SANI Car Rental immediately.
• Report the accident to the South African Police Service and provide the Accident Report or Case Number to SANI Car Rental within 24 hours.
• Do not allow the rental vehicle to be towed away by any 3rd party towing service unless duly authorised in writing by SANI Car Rental.
• Ensure that you complete the Damage Report Form provided when returning your rental vehicle or before taking possession of a replacement vehicle.

• Please refer all Third-Party Claim queries to TPClaims@sani.co.za or contact our Claims department on Tel +27 (0) 11 230-5000.

To rent or drive a vehicle which is designed to carry less than 12 people, a standard Code B or equivalent driver’s licence is required.

Where the rented vehicle is designed to carry 12 or more passengers, including the driver, or has a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) exceeding 3500kg then a Professional Driving Permit is required.

To rent or drive a vehicle that would otherwise require a PDP, foreign national customers must be at least 21 years of age, must be in possession of an unendorsed driver’s licence that they’ve held for at least 2 years and produce a valid passport issued from the same country. 

SANI Car Rental makes it easy to travel South Africa, with convenient rental locations placed in all major airports and city centres country-wide.

Our extensive rental network covers the bustling economic hub of Johannesburg, iconic views of Cape Town, sandy beaches in the KwaZulu-Natal and everything in between.

At SANI Car Rental we strive to provide the best possible experience for our customers and would like to provide the peace of mind that your reserved vehicle will be ready when you arrive.

We keep close track of flight schedules and your flight information helps us ensure we know when to expect you if your flight is delayed or diverted.

A sponsored rental is a service offered to South African citizens where the Renter wishes to pay for a rental but will not be a designated driver. Neither the Renter nor the card used for payment need to be present at the time of collection.

Companies registered in the Republic of South Africa may also use the Sponsored Rental process to rent for their staff on behalf of the business.

Please ensure you arrange your Sponsored Rental at least 3 hours in advance of the collection time to avoid disappointment.

Contact our Sponsored Rental Department on +27 (0)11 611 8020 or sponsor@sani.co.za – Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm for more information.

A holding deposit is an amount held by SANI Car Rental for the duration of your rental period to cover any additional charges that may be incurred. This amount may be held as a temporary authorisation or debited directly from your account depending on the payment card type you choose to use.

If your deposit has been put on hold;

• SANI Car Rental will place a temporary hold of the deposit amount within your bank account.
• This amount is not debited from your account, but simply held for the duration of the rental and therefore will not reflect as a debit or credit on your bank statement.
• Your bank will usually show this as a pending transaction that reduces the money you have available to spend.
  Provided there are no extra charges at the end of your rental period, SANI Car Rental will release the funds or the balance due to you within 14 working days.

If your deposit has been debited;

• SANI Car Rental will debit the deposit amount from your bank account.
• This amount will reflect as a debit on your statement and as a credit when refunded.
• Provided there are no extra charges at the end of your rental period, SANI Car Rental will refund your deposit or the balance due to you within 14 working days.

If you are using a Debit Card;

• Debit cards are accepted subject to specific holding deposit amounts dependent on the vehicle class reserved.
• Please note if you are using an international debit card, a transaction fee of R950 will be applicable.

Many of our rental locations are equipped to receive after-hours returns by means of a secure key drop-safe and designated parking.

Please ensure that you check with your specific SANI Car Rental return location to find out if a key drop-safe is provided.

It is important to note the vehicle remains the responsibility of the Renter until both the key and vehicle have been received and inspected by a SANI Car Rental employee and as such it is important that when returning after-hours;

• The keys are deposited into the marked key drop-safe and not handed to any security or location staff.
• The vehicle is parked in a SANI Car Rental designated parking space.
• All personal belongings are removed from the vehicle.
• All doors and windows are locked and secured.

A claim handling fee is charged for the processing of the claim relating to damage, loss or theft of a vehicle. The fee is charged regardless of the waiver selected and is changed per incident.

Kindly contact us on +27 (0)11 611 8020, or email extensions@sani.co.za.

This is a fee levied by The Airport Company of SA (ACSA) and is subject to all on car rental companies at the Airport.

SANI Car Rental levies an administrative fee for processing any traffic infringement received.

All vehicles are refuelled on termination of the rental to ensure the tank is totally full as a courtesy to the next renter. Fuel pricing in South Africa is regulated and all refills are charged at the Government legislated prices. Fuel consumption is billed to the renters’ account. The renter can either fill the tank prior to return and provide SANI Car Rental with your refuelling receipt or we can fill it for you, a fuel admin fee of 10% excluding vat is levied in the event SANI Car Rental is required to refuel your rental upon return.

Vehicles are provided with a full tank of fuel, upon return all vehicles will be refuelled regardless of the fuel gauge reflecting a full tank. The Renter is liable for any refuelling required of 3 litres or more. An administrative fuel levy of 10% is applicable for all vehicles requiring more than 3 litres. No VAT is charged on fuel but VAT is charged on the 10% Admin fee to fill the vehicle.

Contract Fees are levied as we are legally required to store and administer documents.

A fee for valet cleaning will be applied in the event that the interior of the vehicle has been spoiled, marked or smells of tobacco smoke.

In the event your vehicle happens to break down, please refer to the emergency number in your rental agreement.

We are a VAT vendor and therefore charge 15% VAT on all rentals. Our rates are inclusive of VAT.

Kindly note all customers are subject to a vetting process, if you would like to opt-in for our pre-approval credit check please follow the link: https://www.sani.co.za/pre-approval-credit-check. 

All pre-approval credit check submissions are processed during office hours from Monday to Friday from 08:00 am to 17:00 pm.

• A valid South African drivers licence for South African renters and for International customers, should your licence not be in English, we will require an English International licence.
• A valid South African Identity Document (I.D) and/or Passport. Please note that if you have an international licence, you will be required to produce a passport issued from the same country.
• A Credit Card, Cheque or Debit card. Please note the security deposit will vary based on the type of card used.
• Please note that the cardholder needs to be present when collecting the vehicle.
• Renters must be 21 years or older with a valid drivers licence that they have held for at least 1 year or more. If the renter is younger than 21 and has had a valid licence for a minimum of 2 years, a young driver surcharge will apply.
• If you are crossing borders, kindly note there is a vetting process required upon collection.