Cross-border, self-drive tours of Southern Africa are increasingly viewed by travellers as one of the more cost-effective ways to experience the region. They are also popular for their perceived flexibility and the ease with which they can be customised to suit the individual.

Tourism Update rounds up the cross-border, self-drive routes for the region.

Which routes are the most popular?

Alan Murphy, explorer of the Southern African region for SafariBookings.com, says the most popular cross-border routes in Southern Africa are those between South Africa and its neighbouring countries – SA-Swaziland, SA-Lesotho, SA-Namibia, SA-Botswana, and SA-Mozambique. Murphy adds: “Given the popularity of the Victoria Falls, you can also add the Zambia-Zimbabwe route to this list.”

Janine Bünsow, Market Manager for Germany, Switzerland and Austria at Tourvest DMC, says multi-country packages are also growing in popularity. Esther Ruempol, Market Manager for the Benelux at Tourvest DMC, says these packages are of particular interest among European travellers, adding “A favourite route is to start in Cape Town, drive north to Namibia, east to Botswana and finally end up at the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.”

Which routes should self-drive tourists be wary of?

All industry members interviewed said, the downside to self-drive is that if the client runs into trouble, help could be up to a few hours away. As such, it is important to ensure that the client has a realistic idea of the challenges they may face on a given route. Says Murphy: “Routes into Zimbabwe can be tricky as a result of the ongoing political unrest, and routes into Zambia are more complicated in the wet season when much of the country experiences flooding.”

He gives the following key pieces of advice that travellers should know about each Southern African country.

• South Africa: be alert and safety conscious.
• Namibia: the huge distances between towns make packing an extra fuel tank, water, a satellite phone, and other supplies advisable.
• Botswana: accommodation is usually pricier than the rest of the region, unless you camp.
• Mozambique: there is a lack of infrastructure and services due to its history of conflict, and Portuguese is the main language (not English).
• Lesotho: there is a chance of political unrest.
• Swaziland: one of the easiest countries to travel in.

Which routes are underrated?

While most first-time travellers will request the most popular routes, the rise in experiential travel has resulted in more travellers wanting to stray from the beaten path. Murphy recommends the following routes: Caprivi Strip (Namibia) and Okavango Delta (Botswana), Chipata (Zambia) and Lake Malawi (Malawi), South Africa and Mozambique (via the Great Limpopo Park).

Southern African self-drive – a growing market

Mari Jacobs, spokesperson for Cedarberg Africa (a tour operator specialising in personal safari planning), says self-drive in Southern Africa is a growing market. “Our self-drive market has increased by almost 20% per year, and we see an increasing number of return clients. With the latest GPS technology, travellers have the perception that anybody can self-drive. This has definitely helped to boost the popularity of the self-drive market. However, the GPS is not always accurate, so we still provide our clients with detailed driving directions as a part of their itinerary package.”

Jacobs says that next to the Germans, the UK is the biggest self-drive market. “We mainly deal with English-speaking markets, but I do know that an increasing number of French and South American clients are eager to self-drive. For these markets, cost saving is a huge driving factor and that is why self-drive is the type of holiday they increasingly prefer in Southern Africa.”

She says travellers desire the freedom of exploring at their own pace. “This is a growing trend. They want to explore the lesser known places away from the tourist crowds and interact with locals in a safe environment.” Cross-border trips are also a trend. “However, clients have realised they need the expertise of a tour operator to ensure that their trip runs smoothly and that they are properly informed before they depart.”