Car Hire in Botswana

People drive on the left in Botswana. If you are travelling to Botswana from a country that drives on the opposite side of the road, then this may take some getting used to, especially if you intend to hire a car during your stay.

Botswana has a road quality score of 4 on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 is the lowest rated score. This puts Botswana at 71 out of 137 countries for road conditions. You may find that depending on where you travel within Botswana that the road quality will vary.

0.08% is the maximum Blood Alcohol Concentration you can have to legally drive a car in Botswana. Both residents and visitors of Botswana can face legal penalties for having a BAC higher than this amount. If you are younger than 18, which is the legal drinking age in Botswana, then you may face strict penalties if you are caught drink-driving. Keep in mind that it is never a good idea to drink-drive no matter how old you are.

Prices for cars in Botswana are refreshed on a daily basis.

There are 49 operators available for cars in Botswana as of April 2025.

The minimum age for drivers varies by country, including Botswana. In numerous EU countries, drivers must be 18 years old. To hire a car overseas, you'll generally need to be at least 21, and if you're under 25, a young driver surcharge may be applied. We advise that you read the policy of your chosen hire company before making a reservation.

To hire a car in Botswana, all drivers must present a valid full driving license. If the license is written in a language other than the language of the country of hire, an International Driving Permit may be required to avoid the risk of potential fines. If you're hiring a car abroad, you may also need to provide evidence of your return travel and accommodation information during your stay. We always recommend that you verify with the specific hire company you're booking with.