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4x4 rental in Maputo, Mozambique — side view

Maputo · Mozambique

Car rental in Maputo

Car rental in Maputo is the easiest way to take on the capital and everything beyond it at your own pace — the city, the coast road, the reserves, wherever you’re headed. And because we do one-way hire, you can collect the car in Maputo and leave it on the coast instead of driving all the way back for it. Tell us your dates and your plan, and we’ll sort the right car and hand it over wherever you’re staying.

Rate on request

Tell us your dates and we’ll send your price — no obligation, no online payment.

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  • A capable 4x4 — the city, the sand, and the long runs up the coast
  • One-way available — collect in Maputo, drop on the coast
  • Insurance included, with the excess explained up front
  • Delivered to your hotel or Maputo International Airport

No desk, no queue

How renting a car
with us works.

Renting through EKAYA takes one WhatsApp message and a reply, not a terminal counter and a stack of forms. Here’s the whole thing.

  1. 1

    You tell us your dates

    Your dates, your flight or hotel, and roughly what you’ll do with the car. A sentence is enough to start.

  2. 2

    We confirm availability and quote it

    We check the car is free for your dates and send an honest all-in rate — no hidden fees, no pressure.

  3. 3

    We bring it to you

    We meet you at Maputo International Airport or deliver to your hotel, sort the paperwork on the spot, and you drive off.

Pickup & range

Where we’ll bring the car — and where you can take it.

We deliver and collect across Maputo — your hotel, an office, an address, or Maputo International Airport — and the car is ready when you are. Most rentals are for the capital and the day trips around it, but plenty of people take the car much further.

Heading up the coast? Tell us the route you have in mind and we’ll sort the handover, including one-way trips and a driver if you’d rather not drive every leg yourself.

Planning the wider trip? See car rental in Mozambique , 4x4 rental for the sand and overland routes, and where to go.

Maputo out

Pick it up in Maputo, leave it on the coast.

We do one-way rentals out of Maputo — collect the car in the capital, drive north, and hand it back on the coast instead of doubling all the way back. That single thing is why most people end up renting from us rather than from a desk at the airport: the international chains at Maputo International generally want the car returned where it started, which turns a one-way coastal trip into a 1,400 km round trip you didn’t want to drive.

It fits the way people actually travel Mozambique. You land in Maputo because that’s where the international flights go, but the beaches are north. The EN1 is paved the whole way, and the drives are honest day-trips rather than expeditions: Maputo to Inhambane or Tofo is about 7 hours (~470 km), and Maputo to Vilanculos about 10 hours (~700 km) with a fuel stop at Xai-Xai. Break it overnight in Tofo and it stops being a slog altogether.

Going south instead, to Ponta do Ouro or the Maputo Special Reserve? Message us before you book. Those routes run on sand rather than tar, they change with the rain, and the right answer depends on the week you’re travelling — it’s a conversation, not a checkbox.

Working out the route first? See getting to Tofo and getting to Vilanculos for every option including the drive, and our self-drive guide for licences, checkpoints, tolls and what the car has to carry by law.

What it costs

What car hire in Maputo actually costs.

Car hire in Maputo runs to roughly R930–R1,230 per day on the comparison sites — that’s Kayak’s own booking data for Maputo International, with May the cheapest month and November the most expensive. Useful as a benchmark, and worth knowing before you agree to anything.

We quote per trip rather than publishing a daily rate, because what you actually pay turns on how long you need the car, the season, whether it’s one-way, and where we’re handing it over. Longer stays land at a better daily rate. Tell us the dates and the plan and you’ll get a real number back, with the insurance excess and the deposit spelled out in the same message — no online payment, and no obligation to ask.

No surprises

What's sorted before you drive off.

Insurance
Every rental comes insured. We'll spell out exactly what's covered and what the excess is before you agree to anything — no small-print surprises.
Deposit
A refundable deposit usually applies and comes straight back when the car returns in the same state. We confirm the amount up front, in writing.
Licence & ID
A valid driver's licence and photo ID is all you need to start. We'll confirm the age minimum and any extras when you message.
Real people
You deal with us directly on WhatsApp, in English or Portuguese, and we actually answer — usually within a few hours. People who know these roads, not a call centre on the other side of the world.

Before you ask

The questions we get most.

How much does it cost to rent a 4x4 in Maputo?
For context, the comparison sites put car hire at Maputo International at roughly R930–R1,230 a day (Kayak's booking data — May cheapest, November priciest). We quote per trip rather than per day, because the real number turns on how long you need it, the season, whether it's one-way, and where we hand it over — longer stays come in at a better daily rate. Message us with your dates and you'll get a real figure back, with the excess and deposit spelled out. No obligation, and no online payment.
Can I pick up in Maputo and drop the car off on the coast?
Yes — we do one-way rentals out of Maputo. Collect the car in the capital, drive north, and hand it back on the coast rather than doubling back. It's the main reason people rent from us instead of a desk at the airport: the international chains generally want the car returned where it started, which turns a one-way coastal trip into a ~1,400 km round trip. Tell us where you want to leave it and we'll build the handover in.
Can I drive from Maputo to Tofo or Vilanculos in a rental?
Yes, and plenty of people do — the EN1 is paved the whole way. Maputo to Inhambane or Tofo is about 7 hours (~470 km) and Maputo to Vilanculos about 10 hours (~700 km), with a fuel stop at Xai-Xai. Many travellers break the drive overnight in Tofo rather than doing Vilanculos in one push. Carry cash meticais for the tolls and keep each slip for the next gate. See our self-drive guide for the full run-down.
Is there car rental at Maputo International Airport (MPM)?
Yes — the international chains have desks in the terminal, and we deliver to the airport instead. Send us your flight number and the car is waiting when you land, with the paperwork done on the spot rather than in a queue. We can collect from the airport at the end too, or from wherever you finish if you're going one-way up the coast.
What vehicle do you rent?
A 4x4 — capable on the city's roads and ready for everything beyond them: the sand, the reserves, and the long runs up the coast. Tell us your dates and we'll confirm availability.
Can you deliver the car to my hotel or the airport?
In most cases, yes — we can arrange pickup and drop-off at your hotel, an address, or Maputo International Airport. Tell us where you're staying when you message and we'll build it in.
What do I need to rent — licence, deposit, age?
A valid driver's licence and photo ID at a minimum. A foreign photocard licence is accepted for short stays; a refundable deposit usually applies. We'll confirm the exact requirements, age minimum, and deposit when you message.
Can you arrange a driver as well?
Yes. If you'd rather not drive the city yourself, just say so and we'll pair you with a local driver who knows it. Mention it in your message and we'll quote it.
Do you rent for longer stays — weeks or months?
Yes. For a longer stay in Maputo — a project, a posting, or a season — we can arrange longer-term hire at a better daily rate. Message us with how long you need it.

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Tell us your dates
and where you're staying.

One message and we'll confirm availability, send your rate, and arrange pickup at your hotel or the airport. No obligation to ask.

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