In some African countries, poorly planned road networks amongst other complications may leave drivers perplexed and uneasy.
In certain areas, roads may intersect randomly, with no obvious sign of which route leads where.
These sort of issues coupled with trying to understand the region can sometimes be unsettling for international drivers who are inexperienced with the local road infrastructure.
Without clear direction, traversing cities or even rural regions becomes a game of trial and error, resulting in avoidable delays and tense confrontations.
According to a recent survey conducted by Scrap Car Comparison, a UK-based guide website, Zimbabwe has the most nerve-racking road network in Africa.
The survey which listed 25 countries across the globe also features 3 other African countries.
To create the report, Scrap Car Comparison conducted a global survey of over 2,000 motorists, asking them to rate their level of nervousness about driving in each nation on a scale of 1 to 10.
This was based on the fact that many tourists may hire a car while overseas to allow them greater freedom to explore the new region.
With that said, here are the African countries where it is very nerve-racking to drive, as elaborated on by Scrap Car Comparison.
List of African countries in 2024 where driving is scariest
| Rank | Country | Scare score | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Zimbabwe |
6.90 |
3rd |
|
2. |
Morocco |
6.87 |
4th |
|
3. |
Tunisia |
6.79 |
7th |
|
4. |
South Africa |
6.08 |
21st |
Zimbabwe
While roads in this Southern African country are typically in good shape, roads in rural regions of the country are poorly maintained, making off-road or 4×4 vehicles desirable depending on the destination.
Petrol shortages are also common across the nation.
There are regular traffic police checks, so drivers must have their vehicle documents up to date at all times.
Morocco
Morocco features a combination of chaotic urban traffic and smaller, narrow asphalt routes that are frequently shared with pedestrians, cyclists, and animals including camels, donkeys, and goats.
On the flip side, tolls here are significantly lower than in Europe, although most must be paid in cash, thus drivers should bring modest change for long travels around.
