The cheapest way to get from Pretoria to Johannesburg
For travellers between Gauteng’s two largest cities, the cost of driving is similar to that of taking the Gautrain, but there are more factors to consider outside of price.
Johannesburg and Pretoria are two of South Africa’s largest metros, and travel between the two cities is common.
Combined, the two cities had a population of approximately 8.1 million people in South Africa’s 2022 national census, and the population is likely larger today.
For travelling between the metros, two main options stand out – driving a personal vehicle or taking the Gautrain.
The Gautrain, launched in 2010, is a constant train service between the two cities, with stops in several key parts of both cities.
For a person travelling between Hatfield and Rosebank – two major areas in each city, a trip on the Gautrain will cost R82.
This fare is for off-peak hours – peak-hour costs for this trip are R103 from 06:00 to 08:30 in the morning and from 15:00 to 18:30 in the afternoon on weekdays.
This fare is significantly cheaper than other commuter options, such as e-hailing services, but is very similar to the cost of driving a personal vehicle.
The cost of driving from the Hatfield Gautrain Station to the Rosebank Station depends on the car, but estimates put the cost close to that of a train ticket.
Assuming a fuel efficiency of 6.5 litres per 100 kilometres, a typical number for smaller petrol cars and hatchbacks, the cost would be roughly R82.8.
For South Africa’s most-purchased car, the Toyota Hilux, fuel costs for the trip would be roughly R107, based on a fuel efficiency of 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres.
This means that the cost of driving and that of taking a train between the two major points is roughly similar, depending on the time of day and the specific car a person uses.
While fuel costs are roughly similar, a driver would also have to consider maintenance, which may not affect trip costs at the time but becomes a major factor down the line.
More than just cost
While the Gautrain can be more affordable depending on the car a person drives, it can be difficult to reach a specific destination from the service.
While the Gautrain does run a bus service from each station, these buses follow set routes with specific stops.
This can be challenging for people who need to travel to a location outside the Gautrain bus service, or who are going to multiple places in either city.
The Gautrain has previously addressed this “last mile” challenge, saying it would introduce a new e-hailing service for train users.
This plan is reportedly still in the conceptual stage, and a spokesperson told MyBroadband that more details will come when it is finalised.
While driving is far more flexible than taking the Gautrain, using the train service can be the faster option between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
A trip from the Gautrain station in Hatfield to the one in Rosebank takes 39 minutes using the train, according to the company’s website.
For the same trip in a personal vehicle, the drive can take between 45 minutes and 1 hour, depending on the time of day and traffic conditions.
Once again, the last mile becomes a concern for Gautrain users, as even though the train itself is quicker than driving, they may still need to use the company’s bus service to reach their destination.
This means that for certain destinations, driving might be quicker than the Gautrain, depending on how far they are from the station and its bus routes.
Overall, both options for travelling between Johannesburg and Pretoria have their own advantages and drawbacks, with the cheaper option depending on a person’s car’s fuel efficiency.
For the quicker option, the Gautrain is faster than driving on paper, but this may not be true for specific destinations within each city.
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