Driving in Sandton, South Africa

• Posted by: Editor
• On: 10/10/2007 14:12:26
• In: South Africa Car Hire

Sandton was two separate towns in the past, Sandown and Bryanston, and when these were merged the names followed a similar combination. Even in the early days, Sandton was an upwardly smart neighbourhood and it continues today as many of the financial centres of Johannesburg have relocated to the Sandton District.

What to see in the Sandton area?

Sandton is the richest part of Johannesburg - some say the entirety of Africa. The area is something of a Manhattan of the city as space is at a premium here and skyscrapers are sprouting up all over the place. Why not check out the Michelangelo Towers, a new 135 metre tall structure and offers excellent views over the entire region.

Sandton is South Africa's ultimate shopping experience and those who want to splash their cash will have plenty of choice. Nelson Mandela Square (previously known as Sandton Square) is the largest such store in the southern hemisphere. While you're here be sure to get your photo taken with the 6-metre tall statue of the man himself. And if you're interested in learning a bit more about Nelson Mandela you can visit the Nelson Mandela Museum, located in his former home in Soweto.

Located in the middle of the city, between Johannesburg, Sandton and Randburg you'll find Johannesburg Zoo. Spread out over 54 hectares, it's home to over 2000 animals of 365 different species. A little further south on the other side of Johannesburg city centre, Gold Reef City and the Apartheid Museum are located.

If you want to get out of the city, why not visit the Rietvlei Nature Reserve? Here you can check out the new arrivals such as the hippos and cheetahs introduced in 2007. The Heia Safari Game Reserve with hippos, giraffes and rhinos as well as many more animals is also worth checking out while Krugersdorp Game Reserve, which is located about 40 minutes or so outside the city centre, is also home to the most popular African animals.

Why not hire a car?

The N3 (Johannesburg - Durban) forms a ring road around Johannesburg and is convenient to Sandton. The R1 passes right through the middle of the city and is connected on either side to the N1 (Cape Town - Pretoria), which orbits around the city of Johannesburg and Randburg on the west side.

Luckily Johannesburg Airport is situated on the east side of the city. So it's easy to get to and from Sandon.

The public transport network is somewhat limited so a hiring a car is the probably your best option so have a look at our Car Rental Sandton or our Car Hire Johannesburg pages.

Please feel free to leave a message in the comment box below if you have any useful information about Sandton. Likewise if you have any car hire queries, just drop us a line.