Riding on the Left in South Africa: Tips for First-Time Motorcycle Tourers

In South Africa you ride on the left and overtake on the right. Everything else follows from that.

Speed cameras are common, especially near towns. Signs override the general limits, so watch for lower posted speeds on passes and through villages.

Riding in a straight line on the left is easy. The mistakes happen in the moments when your brain switches back to autopilot.

• •Turning right. This is the long turn across traffic, the equivalent of a left turn at home. Riders cut it short and end up on the wrong side of the new road. Swing wide and aim for the left lane.
• •Turning left. The short, tight turn. Stay close to the kerb and you'll come out in the correct lane.
• •Pulling out of a fuel station or car park. This is the number one danger moment, after a stop and a coffee, when your mind is elsewhere. Look right first, then left, then right again.
• •Empty country roads. With no traffic to follow, riders drift right after a corner or a photo stop. The first oncoming car is a nasty surprise.
• •Roundabouts. They run clockwise, and you look right. It feels backwards for the first few.
• •Your mirrors and head checks. Overtaking traffic is now on your right. Shoulder checks go to the right before you move out.

• •Four-way stops. Common at town junctions. Everyone stops fully, then vehicles go in the order they arrived. Make eye contact and don't rush.
• •"Robots." That's what South Africans call traffic lights. You'll hear it at the first briefing.
• •The yellow-line courtesy. On two-lane country roads, slower vehicles often move onto the paved shoulder, past the yellow line, to let you overtake. A quick flash of your hazard lights says thank you. Only pass when you can see clearly ahead, and don't ride on the shoulder yourself unless you're letting someone through.
• •Minibus taxis. These shared vans stop suddenly to pick up and drop off passengers, often without signalling. Give them space and never ride close behind one.
• •People and animals on the road. In rural areas, pedestrians walk along the verge, and cattle, goats, baboons and antelope can appear without warning. Slow down near villages and farms.
• •Long distances between towns. Fill up when you can, not when you must.

1. 1."Shoulder to the centre line." Your right shoulder should be closest to the middle of the road. Say it in your head at every junction for the first day.
2. 2.Put a sticker on your mirror. A small "KEEP LEFT" note on the left mirror or dash catches your eye at the moments you need it.
3. 3.Follow the guide. On tour you ride behind someone who has done this a thousand times. Copy their line through junctions and roundabouts.
4. 4.Talk yourself through turns. "Right turn, swing wide. Left turn, stay tight."
5. 5.Be extra careful after every stop. Coffee, fuel and photo stops are when old habits come back.
6. 6.Take it easy on day one. The first day is for getting used to the left, not for setting a pace.

On every South Africa tour, the first riding day starts in Cape Town with a full briefing on riding on the left, local road habits and our group riding system. I lead from the front and the support vehicle follows behind, so you're never figuring out a junction alone. Worried about more than the road? Read Is South Africa safe for motorcycle touring?

If riding on the left is your biggest worry, Simba is the easiest place to start: 100% tar, flowing roads and nothing else new to think about. If you already ride gravel, Mufasa starts on the tar of Bainskloof Pass and the Hex River Valley before the Karoo gravel begins. Not sure which? Read our Simba or Mufasa guide, or browse all our guided motorcycle tours.