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That said, I have a few American friends who are also on temporary residence work visas and have somehow managed to beat the system. I'll see what I can find out and come back to you.
You don't have to take a driving test, just an eye test.
Stephanie is right, you can't actually get a South African license, but not to worry, your American license is perfectly fine. I've been driving around here with my Kansas license for 2 years and never had a problem. Or I should say, I have been pulled over by the cops who then tried to create problems for me, suggesting I needed this additinional form or that, but I always stood firm and in the end they realized I knew more about it than they did, so I was fine. You don't really need your international permit either, the U.S. license by itself is fine, as long as it is valid. If you've got five years, you're all set.
Let me know if you have any other questions. We just published an article on buying a car in South Africa, if you have questions about that.
not sure how Stephanie's friends did it, I never found out that it's possible. Then again, you could just keep trying, and another clerk at the licensing office might let you do it. I personally have found that you don't need it at all. I have never had a problem showing my Kansas license. In fact, it might even protect you in some small way, because most cops don't want to bother with a foreign license in terms of issuing a ticket, so that if you refuse to bribe (which you should) you often are let go without paying anything.