Travel Tips - Coming Soon!
Welcome to Sandton!
Johannesburg Orientation
Arriving by Air
Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport serves the Gauteng Province. There are several smaller airports as well, including Lanseria and Rand airports.
Travellers can board the Gautrain at OR Tambo Intl and within 14 minutes arrive in Sandton at Gautrain's Sandton Central station which is directly opposite Chabad's Goodness & Kindness Centre - Shul in Sandton Central. Upon exiting the station, just walk across West Street into Stella Street and we are the secon building on the left - 8 Stella Street.
Transportation
Johannesburg has good road and rail links to other major South African cities. Travellers new to South Africa should check before travelling whether the bus or train they are about to board is a direct one. When you arrive in Sandton (via Gautrain) there are many taxis waiting outisde (dozens of them are parked right outside our Shul). You also have the less expensive option of riding a TukTuk within Sandton for R25 locally.
Getting Around Sandton
There are two types of taxi in Sandton/Johannesburg: ordinary and informal. Ordinary taxis are metered and you can hail them from the street. You will do better if you go to a taxi rank. Informal minivan taxis in general follow major bus routes and pick up and set down at bus stops. Buses are somewhat cheaper but also considerably slower. Sandton Central is quite small and you can get around perfectly well on foot. It is hard to get lost since you should always be able to see Sandton City from which to take your bearings. There are also Security Guards on nearly every street corner who can help you with directions.
Climate
Tipping Advice
Tipping is expected for many services in South Africa, things that perhaps you would take for granted at home. Almost all gas stations in South Africa use attendants who expect around 2 ZAR or 3 ZAR. In restaurants, waiters usually receive about 10% according to the quality of the service, unless a gratuity is included in your bill. Bar tenders should be tipped around 10%, this applies also to hairdressers, taxi drivers and tour guides. Hotel porters expect about 3 ZAR, and maids about 20 ZAR or so per week.
Business Hours and Banking
Normal business hours in South Africa are 08:00 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, although most offices will close at around 15:00 on Fridays. Banks operate a slightly shorter working day.
City Facts
Region: Gauteng
Country: South Africa
Continent: Africa
National Status: Republic
National Population: 46,257,000 (2000 estimate, Source: United Nations Population Division, 1996)
City Population:
National Capital: Pretoria
Local Time Zone: 2 hours from GMT, 7 hours from Eastern Standard Time and 10 hours from Pacific Standard Time.
Official Language: English,Afrikaans and assorted African languages.
Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
Religion: Mainly Christian, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim minorities.