Car hire and driving in Soweto
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 HLA means 37 km (23 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1061257.
Drives from Soweto
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soweto to Alberton | South Africa | 26 km (16 mi) | about 24 min |
| Soweto to Tokoza | South Africa | 29 km (18 mi) | about 26 min |
| Soweto to Evaton | South Africa | 30 km (18 mi) | about 27 min |
| Soweto to Germiston | South Africa | 32 km (20 mi) | about 29 min |
| Soweto to Boksburg | South Africa | 40 km (25 mi) | about 37 min |
| Soweto to Vereeniging | South Africa | 46 km (28 mi) | about 42 min |
| Soweto to Benoni | South Africa | 47 km (29 mi) | about 43 min |
| Soweto to Carletonville | South Africa | 47 km (29 mi) | about 43 min |
| Soweto to Thembisa | South Africa | 48 km (30 mi) | about 44 min |
| Soweto to Vanderbijlpark | South Africa | 49 km (31 mi) | about 45 min |
| Soweto to Brakpan | South Africa | 51 km (32 mi) | about 47 min |
| Soweto to Centurion | South Africa | 56 km (35 mi) | about 51 min |
| Soweto to Cape Town | South Africa | 1,243 km (773 mi) | about 18 h 58 min |
| Soweto to Durban | South Africa | 506 km (314 mi) | about 7 h 43 min |
| Soweto to Pretoria | South Africa | 67 km (42 mi) | about 1 h 1 min |
| Soweto to Gqeberha | South Africa | 882 km (548 mi) | about 13 h 27 min |
| Soweto to Soshanguve | South Africa | 92 km (57 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Soweto to Pietermaritzburg | South Africa | 448 km (278 mi) | about 6 h 50 min |
| Soweto to Bloemfontein | South Africa | 356 km (221 mi) | about 5 h 26 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 Soweto?
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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.