By Taxi in Johannesburg

The city has a great number of minibus taxis, which form the backbone of Jo'burg's transportation. They're very cheap and run on main routes; often, however, they're not roadworthy, and drivers can be very irresponsible, so you ought to avoid using them. Also, there's no real way to know where these taxis go without stopping one and asking. Car taxis, which are much more expensive, have taxi stands at the airport, the train station, and the Rotunda, but otherwise you must phone for a cab. They don't tend to drive around waiting for a fare. Taxis should be licensed and have a working meter. Ask the taxi company how long it will take the taxi to get to you. The meter starts at R2 and clicks over at a rate of R8 per kilometer. Expect to pay about R150-R240 to the airport from town or Sandton and about R120 to the city center from Sandton.

Taxi Companies

Maxi Taxi (011/648-1212). Rose Taxis (011/403-9625 or 011/403-0000. www.rosetaxis.com).