Upvote:1
Car wise, look at services like "rentacheapie", much cheaper than your usual rental agencies. Another option is the bazbus (Google it). Public transport is useless in South Africa, but there are systems in place to transport tourists.
Secondly, I would not rent a local guide in South Africa, most people's knowledge is very limited to their local region, and those who know more will not be guides, so basically if you get a guide, you'll be getting a conman telling you stories that he's making up as he goes along. Crime is real in South Africa, but millions of people live there without losing their lives.
South Africa is huge compared to European countries, so you need to decide what you want to see. It really is an amazing country, and I hope you enjoy your trip.
If you're the adventurous type, have you looked at couch surfing?