Couchsurfing Johannesburg

Article published on 28 January 2018

2024 Couchsurfing in Johannesburg

Why couchsurfing in Johannesburg?

Johannesburg is not a tourist city like Barcelona or New York, there is not very much to see or do for tourists because the city does not have much history- it is a baby by international standards.

To really get a feel for Johannesburg it is worth meeting local people so that you can hang out at the best places or try local food. www.couchsurfing.com will give you the opportunity to visit the city and meet the people.

Which host to choose?

Johannesburg has over 6000 Couchsurfing hosts. Probably the biggest concern will be location. The city center is the transport hub but it is also the most dangerous part of the city and there is not much to see in the city center. The international airport (OR Tambo airport) is in the far East of the city.

How to get from OR Tambo international Airport (Johannesburg International) to the city center

Uber
Taxify
bus
Gautrain (expensive but very quick)
Taxi (shared taxi), ask a local.

Dangerous parts of Johannesburg to avoid

Please do not wander into Hillbrow, doornfontein, Johannesburg CBD (city center), Yeoville, Berea, Alexandra, even the areas around park station (a few blocks away) are known places for street robberies. I would advise you to stay north of Smit street and West of Rissik street. The minibus taxi drivers, despite being obnoxious, will also ensure your safety. There are many safe areas where robberies are unlikely like Melville, Maboneng, Sandton, all the tourist destinations have been made safe. The tourist bus is a good idea.

Tourist attractions in Johannesburg

Apartheid museum. Not my favourite but lots of tourists go there.
lion park
cullinan diamond mine
bungee jumping at Chaf Pozi
catching a local train, MetroRail (a strange experience for most travellers, it is not uncommon to see people smoking marijuana on the train after work).
Chill in Melville
socials at Maboneng (see below)

Internet, WIFI and mobile phone SIM cards in Johannesburg

Every McDonalds has free WIFI and there are a lot of McDonalds. You can buy a SIM card cheaply, usually for under USD$1, try at the airport. The best mobile providers are Vodacom and MTN, both have shops at the airport. You will need to show your passport to get a SIM card and by law you must prove your address, but most shops do not worry about the address if you are a tourist.

Public Transport in Johannesburg

If you are using Google Maps, try to download the maps for Johannesburg on Google Maps before you arrive in South Africa. It is almost impossible to navigate in Johannesburg without a map or without internet.

It is a very good idea to hire a car in Johannesburg because the public transport system is poorly managed, slow, complicated, unreliable and very limited. Even Google Maps will not help you much with public transport in Johannesburg.

Uber is very common in Johannesburg. Install the app and ensure that you have a payment method working before arriving in Johannesburg. Many Uber drivers will accept cash. Taxify is also popular in Johannesburg and many people report that it is cheaper than Uber.

Car hire in Johannnesburg

Most international car rental companies operate in Johannesburg.

Shops, camping stores

There are many shops that sell tents, hiking and camping equipment, try:

Soweto social life

Note that Soweto only really comes alive socially on Friday and Saturday night after pay day. Aim for:

Vilakazi street, always open
Maponya Mall. During the day it is a normal mall, at night it becomes more sociable.
Chaf Pozi, only open on some days

Maboneng social life

Maboneng is always open but is most fun on the weekends.

In Johannesburg