Car hire and driving in Johannesburg
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In South Africa traffic drives on the left. Picking up at JNB means 21 km (13 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.
Drives from Johannesburg
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg to Benoni | South Africa | 28 km (17 mi) | about 25 min |
| Johannesburg to Thembisa | South Africa | 29 km (18 mi) | about 27 min |
| Johannesburg to Krugersdorp | South Africa | 30 km (18 mi) | about 27 min |
| Johannesburg to Brakpan | South Africa | 33 km (20 mi) | about 30 min |
| Johannesburg to Randfontein | South Africa | 34 km (21 mi) | about 31 min |
| Johannesburg to Centurion | South Africa | 41 km (25 mi) | about 37 min |
| Johannesburg to Westonaria | South Africa | 41 km (26 mi) | about 38 min |
| Johannesburg to Evaton | South Africa | 42 km (26 mi) | about 38 min |
| Johannesburg to Etwatwa | South Africa | 42 km (26 mi) | about 38 min |
| Johannesburg to Nigel | South Africa | 50 km (31 mi) | about 46 min |
| Johannesburg to Pretoria | South Africa | 53 km (33 mi) | about 48 min |
| Johannesburg to Vereeniging | South Africa | 54 km (33 mi) | about 49 min |
| Johannesburg to Cape Town | South Africa | 1,262 km (784 mi) | about 19 h 14 min |
| Johannesburg to Durban | South Africa | 501 km (311 mi) | about 7 h 38 min |
| Johannesburg to Gqeberha | South Africa | 894 km (555 mi) | about 13 h 38 min |
| Johannesburg to Soshanguve | South Africa | 81 km (51 mi) | about 1 h 14 min |
| Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg | South Africa | 444 km (276 mi) | about 6 h 47 min |
| Johannesburg to Bloemfontein | South Africa | 371 km (231 mi) | about 5 h 40 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Johannesburg?
The left, as everywhere in South Africa.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.