For South Africa you officially need an international drivers licence. In reality, the licence from EU countries driving license is often accepted as well (provided that at least ‘Driving license’ is mentioned in English), but the police may ask you for an international driving licence. Our Dutch drivers licence was always sufficient during police road blocks. If you want to be 100% it is advisable to puchase an international drivers licence before you travel.
An international drivers licence is mandatory for camper rental.
Recently a client informed us that he travelled without an international drivers licence. He received a R2500 fine when he couldn’t show the police his international licence. This is the first time we heard about this in more than 10 years.