Car hire in Johannesburg

OR Tambo is the biggest rental market in the country. Every major brand is represented and the choice of vehicle groups is the widest anywhere, which usually means better pricing than a suburban branch.

Lanseria in the north west is smaller, quicker to get out of, and better placed if you are staying in Fourways, Sandton's northern edge, Randburg or heading to the Magaliesberg. Fewer brands operate there.

Suburban branches are spread through Sandton, Rosebank, Randburg, Fourways, Midrand and the East Rand. They are handy for short local hires and for replacing a car mid trip, but they keep shorter hours than the airports.

If you are landing at OR Tambo and staying in Sandton, one common approach is to take the Gautrain in, spend the first day without a car, and collect from a Sandton branch the next morning. It avoids driving a strange car on the R24 while jet lagged.

Branch networks change. Treat this as a guide to which brands you can realistically expect to find in the city, and confirm the exact pickup point on your booking.

Johannesburg is where South African rental competition is fiercest, which usually works in your favour on price.

These figures come from Discover Cars and Cheapflights. Most are national, not Johannesburg quotes. A "from" price is the cheapest car found on the day; an average includes bigger cars and longer rentals, which is why the two sites differ so much. Discover Cars puts December at about R474 a day against about R387 in September, so holiday dates cost more.

Two local demand spikes are worth planning around. Long term and monthly rentals are heavily used by contractors and relocating staff here, and matric dance season pushes luxury and specialty vehicles into short supply in the second half of the year.

The freeway network (N1, N3, N12, R21, R24, M1) is fast and generally in good condition. Gauteng's urban e-toll gantries stopped billing in 2024, so the city freeways are not tolled, though conventional toll plazas still apply on routes leaving the province.

Sensible habits that locals follow without thinking about it:

• Keep bags, phones and laptops out of sight, in the boot, not on the passenger seat. Smash and grab happens at busy intersections and off ramps.
• Keep doors locked and windows up in slow traffic.
• When load shedding takes out a traffic light, the intersection legally becomes a four way stop. Many drivers treat it as a free for all, so approach slowly.
• Use secure parking. Malls, office parks and restaurants almost all have guarded parkades, and they are worth the few rand.
• Avoid stopping in unfamiliar areas at night to check directions. Pull into a filling station forecourt instead.

Summer afternoons bring hard Highveld thunderstorms, sometimes with hail. If hail starts, get under cover, because hail damage on a hire car is expensive and is not always covered by the standard waiver.

Approximate one way driving times in normal traffic:

For Kruger, the usual route is the N4 east through eMalahleni and Mbombela to Malelane or Numbi. Leave early: park gates close at set times and driving the last stretch after dark is best avoided.

A hatchback or sedan is right for the city. Johannesburg parking bays are generous, fuel is the main running cost, and every route a visitor takes is tarred.

A bakkie makes sense for two very Johannesburg reasons: moving goods, which is a large share of local hire demand, and getting to bushveld lodges in Limpopo, the North West or Mpumalanga where the last stretch is gravel. Note that towing a trailer is not permitted by default on a hire vehicle and needs prior arrangement.

Luxury hire is a real market here, driven partly by matric dances and events. If that is what you want, book well ahead, expect a higher deposit and a bigger excess, and read the mileage terms because premium groups are more often capped rather than unlimited.

A licence held for at least a year or two, an international driving permit if the licence is not in English, a credit card in the main driver's name for the deposit, and a minimum age of 21 to 23 with a surcharge under 25.

If you do not have a credit card, check the specific brand's debit card policy in advance. Several South African brands will accept a debit card but attach conditions such as a larger deposit or a compulsory waiver, and the rules differ enough between brands that you cannot generalise.

Finally, photograph the car properly at collection. Walk around it, film the wheels and bumpers, and get the existing damage noted on the form before you leave the bay.