African registered vehicle in SA
 

Has anybody any experience of driving a car registered in a west African country (Senegal, Mali, Gambia etc.) down to Southern Africa.

Technically you dont need a carnet as it would be registered in a fellow OAU country, but things here work differently, so I would like to know if anyone has had any practical experience, hassle etc.

I drove a Mali registered vehicle to Cameroon and there was no problem but I am especially interested in SA, Namibia etc.

Thanks

Kevin

Don't all rush at once! Seriously though, has anyone got any idea on this?

my bike is registered in Nigeria I drove it all the way to Cape last July/September. Only Namibia asked for the carnet and I had one. Maybe Namibia has one too but I did not bother to ask. All other Countries have a sort of pass avant or temporary import permit. Having a carnet helps a lot though.
safe ridings

We drove the other way, SA to Kenya.

Our carnet was only used Kenya. Temporary import permits (TIPs) were issued by the customs of all the countries we passed through but we came unstuck at Kenya. South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland are members of the Southern African Common Customs Area (Zimbabwe is not a member). Once in the area, vehicles registered in any of these countries can move freely between without paperwork formalities. Haven't heard that the same thing applies to all OAU countries.

Bundubasher is right to the point that Zambia also does not require you to have a carnet if you come from South Africa with a SA registered vehicle.
Temporary import is very easy and cheap with an SA registered vehicle crossing into Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Anything further than NAM / ZAM / ZIM / MOZ requires you to have a carnet although I heard of a number of travellers who made it into Tanzania or Kenya without being asked for the carnet. Temporary import might be possible without a carnet but the AA of South Africa strongly recommends to have a carnet (hopefully not just to make money).
I would guess that you need a carnet getting into the SACCA countries from Mali or alternatively import temporarily (expensive and nervewhacking).