Impala Car Rental has been a familiar name in Zimbabwe for nearly two decades. Headquartered in Harare, with branches across the country including one in Bulawayo, Impala has grown into a brand that many travellers recognise before they arrive.
Ndlovu Car Rental and Safari is a Bulawayo‑based company that operates across all of Zimbabwe. The name iNdlovu means elephant in Ndebele and Shona, and that choice reflects the values the company tries to live by: strength, patience, loyalty, and memory. Elephants are not small, and neither is iNdlovu’s ambition – they maintain their own fleet of Toyotas, deliver vehicles to any address in the country, and have built their business around the idea that you should not have to travel to a rental branch to collect your car. From their office at Sharon Havens Mall on the corner of J. Moyo Street and 14th Avenue in Bulawayo, they coordinate free deliveries to the airport, to hotels, to private homes, and to lodges in national parks. Their fleet includes Fortuners for gravel roads, Hiluxes for carrying supplies, Corollas for highway driving, and Aurises for city errands, most of them automatic, with rates starting at US$50 per day. But more than the vehicles, iNdlovu is driven by Ubuntu – the philosophy that a person is a person through other people – which means they treat every rental as a relationship, not a transaction.
This comparison is exclusively about car rental in Bulawayo – for travellers landing at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, for business visitors attending the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, for families staying in suburbs like Hillside or Burnside, and for tourists heading to Matobo National Park or Hwange.
Accessibility
When you land at Bulawayo’s airport after a flight, the last thing you want is to find a taxi to take you across town to a rental branch. iNdlovu solves this by offering free delivery to the arrivals hall. One of their staff meets you with a sign, helps with your luggage, and walks you to your car, parked just outside. They also deliver to any hotel or private home in Bulawayo at no extra charge. Impala has a physical branch in Bulawayo, and for customers who prefer to collect their car directly from a familiar location, that works well.
Vehicle Availability
Because iNdlovu owns and maintains every vehicle in their fleet themselves, they know exactly what is available at any given moment. If you call them in the morning, they can often arrange a same‑day rental and deliver the car by the afternoon. Their fleet includes SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner for gravel roads and safaris, double cabs like the Toyota Hilux for carrying extra luggage or supplies, sedans like the Toyota Corolla for comfortable highway driving, and hatchbacks like the Toyota Auris for easy city parking. Most are automatic. Impala’s large fleet is spread across multiple branches, which means they can usually find a vehicle somewhere in their system, but that system is necessarily less agile than a local operator with dedicated vehicles in the city.
Personal Service
iNdlovu operates according to Ubuntu – “I am because we are.” That means they treat every customer as a neighbour. Their staff speak English, French, Ndebele, Zulu, Xhosa, and Shona, and they have built a reputation for being calm, patient, and genuinely helpful. Customers regularly mention that their drivers are relaxed under pressure, that they accommodate after‑hour returns without fuss, and that they remember repeat clients. Impala’s long history and professional systems provide a reliable, standardised service that many corporate clients value, but the personal touch of a smaller, locally rooted company is something that no amount of scale can replicate.
Pricing
iNdlovu starts at US$50 per day, and that price includes comprehensive insurance, a free daily kilometre allowance (200 kilometres for sedans and hatchbacks, 250 kilometres for SUVs and double cabs), and a straightforward full‑to‑full fuel policy. There are no card surcharges, and any refundable deposit is clearly explained at the time of booking. Impala’s pricing is competitive within the market, and their long‑standing reputation gives customers confidence. However, iNdlovu’s combination of free delivery, transparent fees, and included insurance means you know exactly what you are paying for from the start.
Local Knowledge of Bulawayo
Because iNdlovu is based in Bulawayo – not in Harare – they know the city inside out. They know the quickest route from the airport to the city centre, the condition of the gravel road to Matobo National Park after summer rains, the best places to park during the busy ZITF week, and the most reliable fuel stations along the A8 highway to Victoria Falls. This knowledge is not something you can read in a guidebook; it comes from living and driving here every day. Impala, as a Harare‑headquartered national operator, brings a broader perspective but cannot match the concentrated local expertise of a company that calls Bulawayo home.
The Bottom Line
When you need a reliable vehicle in Bulawayo – whether you are heading on safari to Matobo or Hwange, attending business meetings during the Trade Fair, visiting family in Hillside or Burnside, or travelling to a rural homestead for a funeral – iNdlovu Car Rental and Safari offers the combination of free delivery, transparent pricing, genuine personal service, and deep local knowledge that makes your journey easier from the moment you land. Try them for your next rental and see the difference of a company that is rooted in Bulawayo, driven by Ubuntu, and built on the strength and patience of the elephant.
Contact iNdlovu Car Rental and Safari
Phone or WhatsApp: +263 772 913 538 or +263 777 775 859
Email: indlovucarandsafari@gmail.com
Office: Office 12, Sharon Havens Mall, corner J. Moyo Street and 14th Avenue, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Website: www.indlovucarandsafari.co.zw
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