Getting around

South Africa is a big country of long horizons and short-hop cities, and the way you get around shapes the whole trip. Distances between the headline destinations are real -- Johannesburg to Cape Town is a day's drive or a two-hour flight -- so most visitors mix modes: a plane for the big jumps, a hire car or e-hailing app in and around town, and the Gautrain for the Johannesburg-Pretoria corridor. Everything below that can change over time -- app coverage, timetables and fares -- is flagged "as of 2026," and you should confirm live details on the operator's own app or website before you travel.

E-hailing: Uber and Bolt

For getting around the cities, ride-hailing apps are the traveller's default. As of 2026, Uber lists service across South Africa's main metros -- Johannesburg, Pretoria/Tshwane, Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) -- on its own city guide, while Bolt operates in those same metros and a longer list of smaller cities besides. Both work the way they do elsewhere: download the app, set your pickup and drop-off, see the fare up front and pay by card in-app or cash where offered.

A few practical notes: at some airports you must walk to a signposted e-hailing pickup zone rather than the regular taxi rank; save your driver's details and share your trip; and treat the metered "taxis" you might flag in the street as a separate, less predictable option -- the apps give you an agreed price and a record of the ride.

Self-drive and car hire

South Africa is superb self-drive country, with good national roads and dramatic touring routes. The essentials, per South African Tourism: you drive on the left-hand side of the road in a right-hand-drive car. Foreign visitors may drive on a valid licence from home as long as it carries your photograph and signature and is in English; if it is not in English, carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued in your home country alongside your national licence.

All the major international car-hire brands operate here, from small hatchbacks to 4x4s for gravel-road and safari touring, and it pays to book ahead in the December-to-February high season. Keep in mind that fuel stations are often cash-and-card forecourt-service affairs where a small tip for the attendant is customary, distances between towns can be long, and you should plan fuel and daylight for rural stretches.

The Gautrain

In Gauteng -- the province around Johannesburg and Pretoria -- the Gautrain is the quick, comfortable rapid-rail option. The roughly 80 km network of ten stations links Johannesburg and Pretoria on a north-south commuter line (via Sandton, Rosebank, Midrand and Centurion) and runs a dedicated airport line between OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton. It is the painless way to reach central business hubs and to get to or from the airport without sitting in traffic; the airport-to-Sandton run takes only around 15 minutes. As of 2026, trains run at frequent intervals from early morning to mid-evening -- check the Gautrain app or website for the current timetable and fares, and buy or top up the smart travel card before you ride.

Flying between cities

For the long distances, domestic flights do the heavy lifting. The country's three main international gateways, all operated by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), are OR Tambo International (JNB) in Johannesburg -- the busiest airport in the country and one of the busiest in Africa -- Cape Town International (CPT), and King Shaka International (DUR) serving Durban. A competitive domestic market links these hubs (and smaller centres like George, Gqeberha and Bloemfontein) with frequent daily flights, so a morning meeting in Johannesburg and an afternoon on the Cape coast is entirely doable. Booking a few weeks ahead generally gets you the best fares.

Coaches, minibus taxis and getting around town

Overland, intercity coaches cover the routes between cities affordably; Intercape is the largest long-distance operator, running scheduled services across South Africa and into neighbouring countries. For most South Africans, the backbone of everyday public transport is the minibus taxi -- shared vans running set routes -- which the government notes is the most widely used mode in the country; they are cheap and ubiquitous but run informal routes and hand signals that take local knowledge, so first-time visitors usually find e-hailing, the Gautrain or a hire car easier to navigate. In the bigger cities you will also find scheduled bus networks (such as bus-rapid-transit lines and Cape Town's MyCiTi), which are worth checking for specific city routes.