Why this exists
Most used-car buying advice online is either generic (written for a US or UK market and bolted onto a South African headline) or locked behind a dealer's own sales pitch. Neither actually helps someone standing in a driveway in Durban or Gauteng trying to work out whether a 2016 Polo with 140,000km on the clock is a good buy or a slow-motion disaster.
RSA Vehicle Guide was built to close that gap: a free, plain-language checklist and article library that deals in South African specifics — NaTIS and eNaTIS, RTIA and AARTO, real rand repair costs, coastal rust patterns, load-shedding-era battery advice, and the scams that actually show up in local classifieds. The paid inspection guides go one level deeper for people who want it, but the free content is built to be genuinely useful on its own, not a teaser withheld to force a sale.
How the content is built
Every check and article is written to be specific rather than generic — a claim you can act on, not a vague warning. That means:
- Cost figures aimed at the South African market, cross-checked where possible against local parts retailers, workshops, and owner-reported pricing rather than assumed from overseas figures. Good South African pricing data is genuinely hard to find in one place — where a figure is a broad estimate rather than a confirmed local quote, treat it as a starting point and get a quote for your specific car before relying on it.
- Fuel prices verified monthly against the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy's official schedule, with inland/coastal zone differences called out explicitly.
- Administrative and legal detail — NaTIS status codes, roadworthy requirements, AARTO/demerit rules — cross-checked against RTIA and NaTIS sources, and hedged honestly where those rules are still changing or a fee is likely to drift over time.
- A disclaimer on every article that says plainly where the limits of general guidance are, and points you to the right official source to confirm anything that matters — fees, deadlines, and legal status change, and this site would rather say "confirm this" than guess and sound confident about it.
What "free" actually means here
The 60-point inspection checklist, the scam-prevention articles, and the full admin/legal library are free to read, with no signup wall in the way of the content itself. The paid inspection guides (R49–R299) go further — photos of pass vs fail for each check, step-by-step method, and SA-specific repair costs — for buyers who want that level of detail on paper before they go look at a car. Buying a guide isn't required to get real value out of the free content; it's an optional next step, not a condition of it.
How to reach us
Questions, corrections, or a scam you think other readers should know about — email is the fastest way to reach us:
You can also use the contact form on the homepage — both reach the same inbox.
Start with the free checklist
60 inspection checks, built for South African roads, prices, and risks — no signup required to read them.
See all 60 checks →RSA Vehicle Guide provides general information for South African motorists, not professional, legal, or financial advice. Always verify current fees, deadlines, and legal requirements with the relevant official source (NaTIS, RTIA, DMRE, or a qualified professional) before you act.