Car hire prices at Johannesburg Airport

A good price at Johannesburg Airport in October 2026 is around £30 a day for a Compact car like a Toyota Corolla Quest, £20 for an Economy and £18 for a Mini, booked about a month ahead. An Intermediate car, like the Toyota Corolla Cross, averages £39 a day. Booking in the last 2 weeks drops the Compact price to around £27. Across the year, the cheapest rate was a Mini at £21 a day in August 2027, while the dearest was a higher-spec executive car at £90 in February 2027. If your quote is higher, the price checker will show current options for your dates.

At Johannesburg Airport, booking late saves about 38%: across the year a Compact averages £40 a day 9 months before your trip against £29 in the last 2 weeks. For October 2026, a Compact is £30 a day about a month before you fly and drops to £27 in the last 2 weeks. Prices barely shift across the calendar at Johannesburg Airport, so when you travel matters far less than avoiding booking too far ahead. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of travel.

U-Save is the cheapest supplier at Johannesburg Airport with enough data to measure, averaging £28 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months from 1,082 prices. All 15 counters sit directly at the airport, so you do not give up terminal access for a lower rate. However, U-Save does not yet have enough reviews for an overall score. First averages £29 a day from 896 prices and scores 85/100 from 32 reviews, though desk waits average 28 minutes.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

First is the best-reviewed company at Johannesburg Airport, scoring 85/100 from 32 reviews with a desk wait averaging 28 minutes. First is also affordable, averaging £29 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months. U-Save is slightly cheaper at £28 a day, but it does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Other desks like Enterprise average a 20-minute wait at £39 a day, while Alamo averages 3 minutes at £37 a day.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At Johannesburg Airport, all 15 desks take credit cards only, holding deposits that range from £128 with Avis to £1,755 with Bluu Car Rental. Zero suppliers accept a debit card for deposits at the airport, meaning you cannot rent without a credit card in the lead driver's name. The deposit amount is shown beside each vehicle in search results. Extra charges like additional drivers or navigation equipment will be listed under each car with their exact prices.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

The main surprise at Johannesburg Airport is payment rules: all 15 rental desks require a credit card and reject debit cards for deposits entirely. If you arrive without a physical credit card in the driver's name, you will not get a car. Wait times also vary wildly at the terminal: Alamo averages 3 minutes, but First and Hertz average 28 minutes. Once driving, remember that stops at four-way junctions run strictly by order of arrival rather than who holds the wider road.

Fuel is full tank out, full tank back on 100% of prices at Johannesburg Airport, so there is no fuel charge to be surprised by.

A Compact car like the Toyota Corolla Quest at Johannesburg Airport costs around £30 a day in October 2026. It seats 5 but holds only 2 bags, so a larger group will need to step up to an Intermediate like the Toyota Corolla Cross at £39 to fit 3 bags. For 2 passengers with minimal luggage, an Economy car like the Volkswagen Polo Vivo costs £20 a day and takes 2 bags. Automatics make up 59% of cars offered but cost £9 more a day than manuals, while electric and hybrid options are non-existent in the fleet.