After a 10-week trip to Cape Town and without venturing beyond the Western Cape region, I felt the need to experience another part of South Africa to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the country.
Having only heard (rightly or wrongly) negative things about Durban, I opted for Johannesburg. My prior knowledge of the city was limited to it being a large, crime-ridden metropolis.
There isn't quite as an impressive array of options compared to Cape Town, but good value accommodation can be found in most of the suburban areas and especially in those close to the main commercial hubs of Rosebank and Sandton.
You should be able to find a great quality apartment for under $1,000 per month with more demand for places coming between the peak months of November to February.
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New legislation
Recent changes introduced by the Turkish government has made short-term rentals for under 100 days more restricted. Keep an eye on Reddit threads for up-to-date assessments of how the new legislation is impacting short-term rentals in practice.
You'll find a decent number of coworking spaces across the city, with most of them centered around the commercial centers of Rosebank or Sandton. Workshop 17 offers a variety of top-quality options around the Rosebank area and would top my list for exploring.
Very similar prices to Cape Town, making it an affordable destination if coming from Western Europe. Eating out is relatively affordable and transport around town is easy thanks to inexpensive ride hailing options.
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The yen is currently at a 34-year low
While this is undoubtedly a negative for the Japanese, it makes for an exceptionally good time to visit Japan from abroad. Although this trend is unlikely to reverse significantly in the short term, it's still worth checking before visiting.
Read moreMy experience of Johannesburg was somewhat tainted by visiting during the Christmas period, when the exodus from the city made it feel like a ghost town.
However, there are some fundamental qualities about the city that remain relevant for any visit. If you are staying (as advised) in the northern suburbs, that is exactly what they are. Rosebank and Sandton are urban centres, but they are primarily large shopping malls with some office spaces.
Would visiting the CBD be more exciting? From everything I read, any excitement you might encounter there could be of the unwelcome kind.
South Africa is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+2); South Africa doesn't operate daylight saving time, so there's no time difference between the summer and winter months.
I've written a guide on how to structure your day to get the most out of the time difference.
Without doubt, being able to speak Spanish with a degree of fluency is a huge asset when visiting South America. I had always put off visiting the continent due to my Spanish skills not extending beyond requesting a "cerveza grande".
But even with my incredibly primitive linguistic capabilities, it was not in any way to the detriment of the trip. English is spoken sparsely, but armed with a few phrases, some polite enthusiasm and a translator, it shouldn't deter you from visiting.
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A view from the 11th floor of Workshop 17 looking over the northern suburbs.
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Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.
Given the instability in Argentina over the past few years, I found that most advice on key topics, even if written within the last 12 months, bordered on being dangerously outdated.
I have attempted to summarise some of the most misleading points I encountered.
Card availability is now excellent across the city. Even if you are purchasing a single empanada, bananas from a greengrocer, or buying cans of beer off a man in the street before a football match. Some businesses may offer a 10% discount if you use cash, or charge a small surcharge for card payments.
"It's difficult to get a SUBE card"
This was true in recent years, as there had been a shortage of the cards across the city due to a lack of the plastics needed to create the card. I had no problems going to the nearest off-licence and getting a card on my first attempt. It's worth asking your Airbnb host who may have a spare.
The biggest misconception that may still linger, even if you are reading articles from 2023. If planning on eating out heavily, then expect European prices or even higher on more imported day-to-day goods. Eating out aside, day-to-day expenses are still good value by global measures.
This advice would continue to make sense for Americans who already have dollars, but I wouldn't recommend making an effort to purchase with the intent of exchanging them on the ground. Collecting money via Western Union was convenient and good value, which I would recommend to anyone visiting from outside the US.
"Make sure you get the blue-dollar rate"
The dramatic stabilisation of the peso by late 2024 means that this difference is nowhere near as significant as it was 12 months ago. At the time of writing, there was only a 10% difference between the official and blue rate. If you are only in the city for a short period you may not even have to grapple with this.
"Restaurant service is poor"
I did see some evidence of this, especially in cheaper, traditional restaurants. In comical fashion, drinks would not appear or the bill would never materialise. In more contemporary outlets, it was never a problem.
"It is a football mad city"
There is absolutely no doubt that this is as true as ever in 2024.
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