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The hitchability is very dependent on the region and with the notable exception of main roads in between main cities (i.e. road N1, N3 and some parts of N2) it is generally fairly challenging to hitchhike in South Africa. If you do persevere you'll be amply rewarded with a lot of spontaneous hospitality, extraordinary scenery and a beautiful melange of different cultures.
The hitchability in South Africa varies widely from part to part and road to road. Inside the Gauteng region hitchhiking is '''very hard''' but in most parts its doable. In some parts (like northwestern South Africa) it is not uncommon to see people waving money instead of their thumbs to indicate that they would be ready to pay for a ride. Needless to say this complicated things slightly for someone who's trying to hitchhike for free.
=== Getting in ===
==== From [[Zimbabwe]] ====
There are 2 border crossings. If you take the tourist crossing into Kruger National Park it might be pleasant. However the hitchability of that crossing remains unknown. If you do take the main border crossing at Beitbridge one good advice is '''prepare for Chaos with a big C and do not get to the border hungry'''. It's the the busiest border crossing in [[Africa]]. People cut in line shamelessly, it's quite a confused confusing system of different queues for people with non-Southern African passports and a lot overly helpful people abound (beware). Even if you cross it in the middle of the night you're not guaranteed to leave the border without a severe headache. Generally things are a little bit more manageable after darkness though and many people going long distance tend to plan their trip to they cross the border either early in the morning or after midnight. It should be mentioned that this is for the Zimbabwean side, the South African crossing is pretty well organized.
==== From [[Mozambique]] ====
While South Africa is by no means the safest place to hitchhike in it isn't that bad either. Sure armed robbery and rape is rampant in some parts but by using the simple preventative safety measure of '''common sense''' you'll almost certainly encounter no more than the occasional pickpocket attempt. For example hitchhiking after darkness is generally not a good idea. Some areas (e.g. Gauteng) can be considered fairly dangerous to hitchhike in but in these areas people don't tend to stop anyways if you just thumb it by the side of the road. In those areas you can just ask people at gas stations.
You might also want to bear in mind that many richer South African live in fortresses with electrical fencing and all sorts of extremely high security. These people, no offense meant, tend to be overly paranoid about the dangers of life outside their safe oasis. Do take their advice but take it with a pinch of salt.
== Cities ==