Country guide
The best driving roads in South Africa
9 hand-picked driving roads in South Africa, every one mapped from real geometry and fact-checked, including 3 world icons.
The five to build a trip around
Our ranking, icons first, with the reasoning on the table. All 9 roads follow below.
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1
2,876 msummitSani Pass
The legendary gravel climb from KwaZulu-Natal up the Drakensberg Escarpment into Lesotho, South Africa’s highest motor pass at 2,876 m, with 13 hairpins, gradients to 1:3 and sheer drops.
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2
1,571 msummitSwartberg Pass
Thomas Bain’s 1888 masterpiece, 27 km of gravel switchbacks held up by dry-stone retaining walls, climbing to about 1,585 m between two karoos.
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3
6 mi13 minChapman's Peak Drive
Nine kilometres carved into the near-vertical face of Chapman’s Peak, the Atlantic straight below and 114 bends between Hout Bay and Noordhoek.
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4
15 mi29 minOuteniqua Pass
Fast tarred pass linking George to the Karoo.
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5
18 mi41 minBain's Kloof Pass
Tarred 1850s convict-built pass above the Witte River.
The roads
Sani Pass17 mi · 39 min · 2,875.8 m summitView the roadbook ›
Swartberg Pass
Chapman's Peak Drive
Outeniqua Pass
Bain's Kloof Pass
Franschhoek Pass
Long Tom Pass
Prince Alfred's Pass
Lesotho
Namibia
Kenya