Car rental prices at Johannesburg Airport

Johannesburg Airport car hire costs around $40 a day for a Compact car like the Toyota Corolla Quest when booked about a month ahead of October 2026. An Economy car, the Volkswagen Polo Vivo size, is about $27 a day, while an Intermediate SUV like the Toyota Corolla Cross is $53. Leave booking to the last 2 weeks and that Compact drops to around $36. Across the year, prices range from $28 a day for a Mini in January 2027 to $121 for an executive model in February 2027. If your quote is higher, check our price checker for your exact dates.

For October 2026 at Johannesburg Airport, waiting pays off: a Compact car drops from $40 a day booked a month ahead to $36 in the last 2 weeks. Booking late saves about 38% across the year, dropping from $54 a day 9 months before your trip to $39 2 weeks before pickup, so you have missed nothing if you have not booked yet. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 2 weeks of travel. Prices barely move between months at Johannesburg Airport, so your booking date matters more than the travel month.

U-Save is the cheapest company at Johannesburg Airport with enough prices to compare, averaging $38 a day for a Compact car from 1,082 prices over the last 12 months. Its desk is inside the terminal, but it does not yet have enough customer reviews for a score. First is the smallest step up at $39 a day, from 896 prices, and scores 85/100 from 32 reviews. Like every desk at the airport, U-Save takes only credit cards for deposits.

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 an average desk wait of 28 minutes. First is also among the cheapest, averaging $39 a day for a Compact car over the last 12 months. U-Save averages $38 a day, but it does not yet have enough reviews for a score. Alamo offers the fastest service at 3 minutes, though Alamo averages $50 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, none of the 15 desks accept a debit card for the deposit, which ranges from $173 with Avis to $2,366 with Bluu Car Rental. All 15 counters require a credit card in the primary driver's name to hold the security deposit. The exact deposit rule for each vehicle is displayed beside the price in the search results. Any extra charges applied at the desk are listed under each vehicle before you book.

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

The biggest catch at Johannesburg Airport is payment method: all 15 desks take credit cards only, leaving debit cards stranded at the counter. Desks like Bluu Car Rental will freeze a hefty $2,366 deposit on that card, so checking your credit limit before flying is essential. First has an average counter wait of 28 minutes, so budget extra arrival time if you rent there. Turning up with a debit card will simply leave you walking.

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 $40 a day for October 2026. It seats 5 people but holds only 2 bags, so a full group with luggage will need to step up to an Intermediate SUV like the Toyota Corolla Cross, which takes 3 bags for $53 a day. Downsizing to a Volkswagen Polo Vivo in the Economy class costs $27 a day. 59% of cars offered are automatic, which costs $13 more a day than a manual Compact car over the year. Electric and hybrid models are not available.