There are many Cape Town car hire companies that deal directly out of the airport and while these are convenient you are probably paying extra for this convenience. For cheap car hire consider looking at car hire companies that are based elsewhere in Cape Town that can deliver and collect from the airport for free. You can research these cheap car hire companies online before you arrive in Cape Town to have your cheap car hire waiting for you upon your arrival or if you don't mind waiting just find an internet caf at the airport.
When it comes to cheap car rental picking a higher insurance package may be more expensive but in the case of theft or an accident you will save more money in the long run. Remember choosing the lowest bracket of cars available will not only give you the cheapest car hire vehicles but these cars are normally the most cost effective when it comes to fuel costs as well. Some people who are looking for cheap car hire often hire a bigger car for luggage reasons to avoid having to do this consider hiring a car only once you have arrived at your hotel and get a shuttle to the airport and back.
Seriously consider if more than one person will be driving your cheap car hire vehicle, and if it's only a probability, rather don't choose the additional driver option as you will pay extra for this. Hiring a GPS along with your cheap car hire vehicle can actually save you money in the long run because map books can be expensive in Cape Town and if you get lost you will end up spending much more on petrol, not to mention the amount of time you will waste.
Stick to the speed limits while in Cape Town because the area is filled with hidden cameras. You will want to avoid paying speeding fines on your cheap car hire vehicle and remember that all road signs refer to kilometres not miles.Some cheap car hire companies also offer you the options of renting mobile phones (with working South African numbers) and baby seats. Simply ask at your cheap car hire company what extra facilities they offer as it may be cheaper and more convenient to just rent everything you need from the one place rather than spending half of your first day and last day driving around buying and returning all these items.