Distance from Cape Town to Pretoria
Cape Town to Pretoria is 1460 km by road, roughly a 15h 22m drive on the N1. Fuel cost for your car is below.
1460 km
Driving distance
15h 22m
Drive time
at 95 km/h avg
1311 km
Straight line
N1
Main road
What the drive costs in fuel
One-way energy cost over 1460 km at R25.58 a litre (inland 95 ULP, effective 2026-08-05). Consumption figures are manufacturer combined-cycle numbers, so treat them as a floor — real-world use on a loaded car runs higher.
| Vehicle | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Polo Vivo | R2 203 | R4 407 |
| Toyota Corolla Quest | R2 614 | R5 229 |
| Toyota Fortuner | R2 988 | R5 975 |
| Toyota Hilux | R3 174 | R6 349 |
| BYD Atto 3 | R605 | R1 211 |
Electric vehicle cost is home-charging electricity, not petrol. Want a different car? Browse all 42 vehicles →
Why the drive is longer than the map suggests
Cape Town and Pretoria are 1311 km apart in a straight line, but the road covers 1460 km — an extra 149 km, or about 11% further. Roads bend around terrain, follow passes and link the towns in between, so the driving figure is always the one that matters for fuel and time planning. The straight-line number is only useful for flights.
Going the other way?
The return leg is the same 1460 km — see Pretoria to Cape Town. For any other pairing, the distance calculator covers 121 South African towns.
Open the distance calculatorRelated distances
Frequently asked questions
How far is Pretoria from Cape Town?
Cape Town to Pretoria is 1460 km by road, travelling mainly on the N1. In a straight line the two towns are 1311 km apart, so the drive is about 11% longer than the direct route a plane would take.
How long does it take to drive from Cape Town to Pretoria?
About 15h 22m of driving time, based on an average of 95 km/h over 1460 km. That average allows for a mix of 100 and 120 km/h limits and does not include stops — add roughly 15 minutes for every fuel or rest break, and allow extra time on public holiday weekends.
How much fuel does the Cape Town to Pretoria trip use?
At R25.58 a litre, a car using 7.5 L/100km burns about 110 litres over 1460 km, costing roughly R2 801 one way. The table on this page shows the cost for specific South African models.
Which road do you take from Cape Town to Pretoria?
The N1 carries most of this route. Always check live traffic and roadworks before you leave — SANRAL runs long-term maintenance on several national routes and detours can add time.
Data: Effective 2026-08-05 · Driving distances verified against Google Maps and AA South Africa · Fuel price — DMRE · Vehicle consumption — manufacturer combined-cycle specifications · See methodology
Was this page helpful?
Other driving tools