Driver's License Testing Centres - practical advice, out of town/Western Cape?

[rjs]

Long story short, didn't pass my test, been traveling for some time with no opportunity to retest but still need to get this sorted out ASAP as the learners now expires in 3 months:
- I live in Cape Town and work full-time
- I've heard rumours that there are out of town places you can call today and get a booking within a few days/weeks? Apparently sometimes even the same day?
- Does anybody actually have names of places and personal experience with this approach?
- How would you recommend dealing with the logistics of getting there? (Friends have offered to drive me there, but obviously they work too... a Saturday mission would work out well, anybody know for certain which places offer Saturday tests? I could also use a driving school car, but presumably it'd be pricy... comments from somebody who has pulled this off?)
- Any general advice on what to say/do to improve your chances if taking this approach as an out-of-towner? I've heard that these guys might not be too keen on helping out non-locals (not surprised)...

Slight less on-topic:
- Anybody know why it's so easy to get a booking within a few weeks in Joburg but so difficult to pull it off in Cape Town?
- Am I missing something here? I've had people tell me for R2,500 I could 'buy' a license. I don't want to do that. Yet it looks like it costs more time/money to do this legitimately... Something is seriously messed up about the economics of this situation.

 

[nic777]

Have you tried approaching the traffic station manager and ask for an earlier date (if they have) citing that you need it urgently for work?

I did that when I needed it to drive overseas for a business trip and got a much earlier date. Actually thinking of it, I got learners and drivers all in 2 months

I asked the green point traffic station manager for an earlier data for my drivers.

Good luck