Things to do in Johannesburg

Johannesburg was a city built for the car and so public transport is rare and often sketchy, and the metro is dangerous. The Gautrain (a speed train not part of the metro system) is a good, clean and safe way to jump fast between the airport and Sandton, but be sure not to exit from the extremely dangerous Marlboro station (next to the township of Alexandra, a very bad area). There are buses and minicabs on the streets, but there tends to be no designated stops and these are generally used only by commuters coming in and out of the city. They can be unsafe (they tend to speed and often are not roadworthy), and, except for the feeder buses connected to the Gautrain, bus and shared taxis are probably best avoided unless you know what you are doing.

You enter where you want (make sure you know where the taxi is going, and generally locals use specific handsignals to ensure the correctly destined taxi stops) and it stops where you want along the fixed route. Renting a car will give you the best flexibility and opportunity to tour the city, however driving is fast paced, but by now means difficult as long as you stay aleart. Heavy traffic into Sandton in the morning (6:30 to 9:00) from all directions leading towards Sandton and in the afternoon all routes leading out of Sandton (15:30 to 18:30) in all directions could delay your journey by up to 2 h, so plan accordingly.