Transport

              Roads in the country are quite well maintained. The only area that we had problems with the road were heading up to Coffee Bay along the south coast. It is a more rural area for backpackers and surfing - definitely worth a visit.
I would greatly advise using an organised form of transport, rather than trying to wing it as you go along, which is fine to do in most other countries. South Africa isn't as safe and muggings are a big problem. We used the Baz Bus! It was started by a guy called Barry (surprisingly), and they offer different routes, all colour coded, for various journeys across the country. You can book this at your first hostel and pick your hostels along the way and which days you want picking up and dropping off at your next hostel. It runs every day and people hop off and on along the way. You can change your route with a quick phone call, so don't think your trip will be overly planned if you want a bit more freedom. You can stop at as many different destinations along the route as you wish, you just have a certain amount of days to do it in. I couldn't recommend it more! You get to meet more people on your long journeys, you hear amazing stories from the drivers and have a sing-song along the way. It can take you to destinations that would be far too expensive to make it there yourself, and all of the hostels have been agreed to be safe to stay in.
Another service we used after the Baz Bus had taken us to our final drop off point was the Greyhound Bus - another backpackers mini-bus service.
We did meet a few people who had decided to hire cars for their journey, which does make you prone to car-jacking, but with a well thought out route and at least one other friend with you then you should be fine.