Transport Options To Get Around In Johannesburg

Transport Options To Get Around In Johannesburg

The city of Johannesburg. A favourite amongst many South Africans and other parts of the world. This is home to many businesses, rich culture and fashion, tourist attractions to die for, amazing restaurants and friendly people. Day in and day out, Johannesburg is buzzing with people indulging in the experiences offered by this city. Whether it’s coming to work or stock for businesses or to taste the famous food on a certain side of town, Johannesburg is always busy. This has created many opportunities for different forms of transport for passengers and transport business entrepreneurs. So, how does one move around this marvellous city, and can you really stick to one form of mobility in this city? In this article, we will have a look at some of the most affordable ways to travel to every side of Johannesburg and how you can take advantage of the different services and benefits of some.

Taxi Turf

One of the most common ways to travel in Johannesburg is via taxi. Because the public transport system in Johannesburg is so vast, it manages to cater to many people and parts of the city. Johannesburg is divided into four corners like every map; North, East, West and South. For most of the South people, those living in areas such as Mondeor, and Soweto, taking a taxi is very simple, and because Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD) has two major taxi ranks and a few small ones, even if they are headed to say the north side of town, they are able to find another taxi at these ranks. If you are familiar with Bree Taxi Rank (right at the beginning of Newtown and near Nelson Mandela Bridge), as well as the MTN Taxi Rank (placed right at the beginning of Doornfontein), then you pretty much have nailed the taxi side of Jozi.

In between these ranks, there are a few small ones that are usually placed on street corners. If you are going to Parktown, for example, and coming from the Newtown and Bree side of things, you will need to head to Cnr Plein and Small street where you’ll find a taxi that’s going to Parktown. A pro-tip when riding taxis is to always budget more time and make arrangements with a long queue in consideration. Because taxis are used by many people in Johannesburg, there are a lot of long queues every now and then, so always prepare.

Bus, Bus, Baby

If you intend on living in Johannesburg on a long-term basis and have to commute to work in and around some parts of this city, then you might want to broaden your public transportation options. Lucky for you, just like taxis, there are many bus options. You can either choose to commute from the west, east, north and south side of the city to the CBD with a Metro bus as they usually service many parts of the city, or if you have a north and central relationship, then the Gautrain bus is the right one for you. There is also Rea Vaya, which serves everyone looking to travel to and from the CBD to the Soweto side of the south.

The ‘Train’ In Gautrain

If you plan on living or travelling to and from the north side of Johannesburg and Gauteng (e.g. Sandton, OR Tambo and Pretoria), then a Gautrain train is probably going to be your new best friend. Offering affordable trips in the form of card vouchers, this is a quick and convenient way to travel. The Gautrain train can be great if you have time-specific commitments as it travels according to certain time intervals.

E-Hail With Ease

When it comes to a more private type of transport service in Johannesburg, e-hailing is your best bet. While buses and taxis offer great commuting for Joburg residents and visitors, their time limits tend to pose an inconvenience for many. Luckily, there are e-hailing services such as Uber, Bolt, Didi and InDriver that operate between the early hours of the morning and late hours at night. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, e-hailing services operate on a curfew basis as opposed to a 24hr system. With reasonable prices as well as promotions on a regular basis, you can invest in an e-hailing account for those rainy days.

But Wait, There’s More

There are also localised forms of public transportation, such as Tuk Tuks, in certain areas in Johannesburg. With these, you will pay a set amount that covers the local areas within a specific radius. We would recommend these if you are looking to head home quickly while carrying a lot of things. Cycling in Johannesburg is also easy, and if you want to try it out, there are cycle races happening on a regular basis around the Randburg side of things so you can sharpen your skills. A fun fact about cycle racing in Johannesburg is that popular radio station, 947 (formerly known as 94.7 Highveld Stereo) held their Joburg's 94.7 Cycle Race which actually went right past JHC’s buildings in Newtown, from the Nelson Mandela Bridge and onto the M1 South (Heritage View, Brickfields, Phumulani and Legae) in 2021.

You can also bike or rent a car, and walking in Johannesburg is just as easy.

The cost of living in the city of Johannesburg is a bit steep, so the main trick is to live close to everything you will need. Whether it is your work, favourite stores or more, try to live close by. If you are looking for flats near where you need to be, we can help. View all our affordable housing in Johannesburg.