A good towing service does more than pull a car off the road. It sends the right truck for the job, tells you the rate before hooking up, and takes the vehicle where you want it, not where it suits the yard. Operators in South Africa run everything from small wheel-lifts to rollbacks and heavy wreckers. Tell us what needs moving, from where and to where, and local operators quote you directly. Sending a request is free and there is no obligation to accept any quote.
Which kind of tow you need
Most jobs fall into one of a few types, and naming the right one gets you a sensible quote:
- Wheel-lift: lifts the front or rear wheels and rolls the car on the other axle. Fine for short tows of front-wheel-drive manuals.
- Rollback or flatbed: the whole vehicle rides on the deck. Best for automatics, all-wheel drive, low cars, electric and hybrid cars and crash damage. See flatbed towing.
- Heavy wrecker or rotator: for trucks, buses and loaded trailers. See truck towing.
- Bike deck or trailer: for motorbikes, strapped upright with a wheel chock.
What to check before the car is hooked up
Towing rates are not regulated in South Africa, so the time to agree on price is before the truck lifts your car. Ask for the operator's name, the truck's details, the drop-off address and the storage rate per day, all in writing. Never sign a blank tow slip or authority. If you have cover through your insurer or a roadside plan, call that line first: many policies only pay when their own operator does the tow. You may choose your own operator unless your policy says otherwise, so check it before you sign anything.
What drives the cost
A short local tow is often quoted at about R850 to R2,500, and longer tows are usually priced at about R15 to R25 per km on top of a call-out fee. The price moves with distance, the type of truck, the time of day, whether the car rolls or needs winching out of a ditch, and tolls on the route. Weekend and late-night jobs often cost more. For a fuller breakdown of how operators build a rate, read towing prices.
How to compare quotes
Line the quotes up on the same basis: call-out fee, rate per km, the kilometres each operator counted, and anything extra for winching, waiting time or after-hours work. A low headline price can hide a high storage rate if the car ends up at the operator's yard. Ask whether the price includes VAT, whether the driver will strap the car on a deck or use a wheel-lift, and how long the truck will take to arrive. The clearest quote is usually the safest one.
What to include in your request
- Vehicle type and whether it is automatic
- Exact pick-up spot and drop-off address
- Whether the vehicle rolls, steers and brakes
- Whether it is in a basement, ditch or tight lane
- When you need it moved and any insurer reference
Towing Services for different clients
- Motorists and families: a car that will not start at home, taken to a trusted workshop down the road
- Company fleets and rental firms: company cars and delivery vans towed to a service centre with one account and clear rates
- Truckers, buses and logistics: a minibus or light truck moved off a depot yard to a diesel workshop
- Farmers and 4x4 owners: a bakkie with a dead engine towed from a farm gate to the nearest town
- Dealers, panel beaters and workshops: dealer stock and non-runners moved between showrooms, auctions and panel shops
- Construction, mining and plant hire: site bakkies and service vehicles taken from a construction site to the fleet yard
- Caravan, boat and bike owners: a weekend car or project car moved to a specialist on a covered deck
- Municipalities, estates and schools: abandoned or broken-down vehicles cleared from estate roads and municipal yards
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a towing service near me that is not overpriced?
Is this site a towing company?
Can a towing company take my car to its own yard?
Does a towing service move bakkies, caravans and trucks too?
Towing Services by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg