How to rent a camper or caravan in South Africa on Kampi: the rules, the costs, the licence, and the mistakes that eat your holiday. Straight talk from founders.
South Africa has over 700 campsites, proper wildlife parks, and a road network that connects all of it. A hotel room in Kruger runs you R3,000 a night in peak season. A rented camper starts at R519 a day on Kampi, and you wake up to the same bushveld view, except it's your own camp, your own braai, your own coffee on your own terms.
Renting makes sense if you want freedom without the R300,000+ commitment of buying. You pick the type that fits your trip, use it for a weekend or a month, and hand it back. No storage fees, no maintenance, no insurance premiums eating into your budget for 11 months while it sits in your yard.
If you're weighing up the full buy-vs-rent decision, we broke down the honest numbers in Renting vs Buying a Caravan in South Africa.
Kampi is a peer-to-peer marketplace. You rent directly from the person who owns the camper, not from a depot or a fleet company. Think Airbnb, but for caravans and trailers.
Use the search page to filter by location, dates, camper type, and budget. We have 368 campers listed across all 9 provinces, with the biggest selection in Gauteng and the Western Cape.
Found something? Pick your dates, check the total (daily rate + R89/day insurance + R189 admin fee), and write a quick message to the owner. Most people mention where they're headed and how many people are going. It helps the owner decide, and sometimes they'll share route tips you won't find on Google.
The owner has 48 hours to accept or decline. They can see your profile and read your message before deciding. You'll get a notification as soon as they respond.
Once approved, you have 48 hours to pay via PayFast. Credit card, EFT, or split payment plans. No cash changes hands between you and the owner, everything goes through the platform.
Before your trip, upload your driver's license, ID, and vehicle registration. If the camper requires a Code EB license, you'll need to confirm you have one. More on that in our EB license guide.
A refundable breakage deposit (R5,000 local, R10,000+ cross-border) is due 7 days before your trip. Kampi holds it, not the owner. No damage claim within 72 hours of your return? Automatically refunded.
The owner shares their pickup address once the booking is confirmed. Do a walk-around inspection together before you leave, check for scratches, test the lights, make sure the gas works. Same thing when you bring it back. Hand over the keys, done.
The average Kampi trip runs 6.3 days. Long enough for a proper road trip, short enough to keep costs sane.
Depends on where you're going and what you drive.
The most popular category on the platform. Built for gravel roads and bush camps, Echo, Conqueror, Bush Lapa are the common names. Most need a Code EB license and something with proper towing grunt (2.4L engine or above). These are your Kruger and Baviaanskloof campers.
Lighter, fold out into a tent at camp. Many don't need EB. If you're doing 4x4 trails where a caravan is too wide or heavy, these are the answer. Popular with couples.
Your Jurgens, Sprite, Gypsey. The ones your parents towed to Margate in December. Comfortable, spacious, tar roads only. Ideal for the Garden Route and KZN coast. Most need EB.
Drive and sleep in the same vehicle. No bakkie, no towbar, no towing anxiety. Rates are higher but you save on not needing a separate vehicle. Couples and retirees love these.
Mounts on your own roof rack. Cheapest option. No towing at all. For the person who wants to stay mobile and travel light.
134 of our campers don't need an EB license. If you only have Code B, start here.
Owners know their campers better than any listing description can capture. These are the questions that separate a smooth trip from a frustrating one:
Every Kampi booking includes insurance. Not optional, not an add-on. R89 per day, baked into the price.
R5 million comprehensive cover underwritten by Multi Risk Makelaars (FSP 6280):
What's covered and what's not: insurance guide. Roadside details: roadside assistance page.
R5,000 for local trips, R10,000+ for cross-border. Kampi holds it, not the owner. No damage claim filed within 72 hours of return? Automatically refunded. If there is a claim, we mediate, both parties upload evidence, formal dispute process if needed.
Daily rates on Kampi range from R135 to R10,000. The average is about R1,066 per day. Your total bill has three parts:
Worked example: a 4-day trip in a R600/day off-road trailer. R2,400 (base) + R356 (insurance) + R189 (admin) = R2,945 total. Less than two nights in a mid-range lodge.
December is when everyone camps (938 of our 5,640 completed trips started in December). March and April get busy with Easter. May through August is quiet, best rates, most availability, and you'll have the campsite to yourself. Some owners offer weekly and monthly discounts if you're doing a longer trip.
Owners: see our high season pricing guide for rate-setting strategy.
Probably. If the camper weighs more than 750kg, and most caravans do, you need a Code EB endorsement on your driver's license. Of our 368 listings, 234 require EB and 134 don't.
No EB? Two options:
Don't skip this. Towing without the right license voids your insurance and carries a fine. Each listing page clearly shows whether EB is required.
South Africa is built for this. Five routes our renters keep coming back to:
Most popular Kampi destination. SANParks campsites have power, water, braai. You don't need off-road for most rest camps, but a 4x4 trailer opens up Pafuri and Punda Maria on the gravel roads. Browse Kruger-area campers.
Mossel Bay to Storms River. Tar the whole way, caravan parks every half hour, Tsitsikamma forest in between. Road caravan territory. Browse Garden Route campers.
Cathedral Peak, Royal Natal, Giant's Castle. Cold in winter, worth it year-round. Access roads are gravel in places, so bring something that can handle it. Browse Drakensberg campers.
Langebaan, Paternoster, Elands Bay. Quiet, windswept, beautiful. Especially during the Namaqualand flower season in August and September. Browse Western Cape campers.
KKNK, Splashy Fen, AfrikaBurn, Rocking the Daisies. We have dedicated pages for most of them with camper picks for each event.
760 reviews on the platform, 4.9 out of 5 average rating. We didn't cherry-pick these, they're just recent:
"The booking experience through Kampi was painless. Having the ability to click, choose and pay in one place was very efficient. The camper was clean and as advertised."
"Very liveable and all the equipment necessary to be fully off the beaten track. More than expected in the utensil department, gas, hot and cold water, solar... Everything neat as a pin."
"This camper is incredibly easy to set up. The host communicates clearly and promptly. Overall, it made the entire trip stress-free from start to finish."
"We had a wonderful holiday. The caravan was fully equipped with all the goodies you need. The owner sent us detailed instructions on setting up and was always available if we had any queries."
21% of renters come back for a second trip. That number is from our booking data, not a marketing claim.
5,640 trips teaches you things. Experienced renters do these differently:
We started with 137 trips in 2021. Did over 1,700 in 2025. Five years old, South African-built, run by five people in Pretoria.
Browse campers on Kampi and pick something for your next trip. Still on the fence about renting? Read why you should rent before you buy. Or just try a weekend. R519 a day and a campfire is a cheap way to find out if this is your thing.
Veilige paaie en lekker kampplek. (Safe roads and a good campsite.)
Search on kampi.co.za by destination and dates, send a booking request to the owner, get approval within 48 hours, pay securely, and collect.
A valid Code B licence is enough for trailers up to 750 kg GVM. Above that, you need a Code EB. See the EB Licence Guide link in the post.
Daily rates start around R550 for compact teardrops and run up to R2,500 for fully equipped expedition trailers. The admin fee is R189 per booking and insurance is R89 per day on eligible units.
Request, approve, pay, collect, trip, return, review. The whole flow typically takes 48 hours from request to confirmed booking.
Yes, the deposit is refunded after the return inspection if there is no damage. Timelines and excess are set by the owner on each listing.