$1,250+ Cheap flights to Johannesburg

Johannesburg climate

Johannesburg has a fantastic climate. The sun shines year-round – average temperatures are about 26 degrees in January, 16 degrees in June – and humidity is not a factor. The winters are mild and short and snow is very rare.

Getting around Johannesburg

Johannesburg’s layout lends itself best to driving. There are several car-rental companies with desks at the airport. There are city buses and informal minibus services. The Rea Vaya Bus Rapid Transit System offers cheap, reliable transport. Buses run in dedicated lanes and smaller, feeder buses bring people from the outer areas to the stations on the trunk routes. There’s also Metrobus, which offers scheduled bus services around the city. Minibuses are probably best avoided unless you are with a local. Routes can be confusing. There are plenty of taxis, but try to settle on a fare before you set off to avoid arguments with the driver when you arrive at your destination. 

What is good to know if travelling to Johannesburg?

• Johannesburg can be a dangerous city. Try not to draw attention to yourself. Keep your camera and other belongings out of sight. Dress discreetly. Don’t leave doors or luggage unlocked. And don’t walk around unprotected at night. 
• For the World Cup this summer, matches will shown free on big screens at venues including Ster-Kinekor cinemas at Maponya Mall, Eastgate, Key West, Sandton City, Fourways, The Zone and East Rand Mall. Tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis five days before each soccer game. The maximum number of tickets per person per game is four. 
• Johannesburg Art Gallery is a wonderful gallery with works by Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and South African artists such as Gerald Sekoto, Maud Sumner and Ezrom Legae. 
• The Apartheid Museum is beside Gold Reef City, a theme park complete with thrilling rides such as the Tower of Terror (fear factor 10), The Anaconda (fear factor 9) and Dr Doolittle’s Farmyard, where the residents include tortoises, monkeys, alpacas and emus. 
• Rosebank Rooftop Market is held every Sunday (9am-5pm). There are more than 600 stalls selling arts and crafts, clothes and foodstuffs from all over Africa. The market is located on Cradock Avenue at the Mall of Rosebank. 
• The Apartheid Museum should be a stop on every visitor’s itinerary. Upon entering the museum, visitors are classified as black or white and they then enter a “non-whites” or “whites” entrance. The museum tells its story via video and photography, text and artefacts. 
• Constitution Hill is the site of the Old Fort Prison Complex, where many political activists were jailed, including Mahatma Gandhi, Joe Slovo and Nelson Mandela.