- Cities
- South Africa
- Johannesburg
How walkable is Johannesburg?
Johannesburg has a walkability score of 96 out of 100 around its centre, which makes it a Walker's Paradise, where daily errands do not require a car. It is the 3rd most walkable of 5 cities ranked in South Africa.
What's within walking distance
1,169 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Johannesburg. The nearest grocery is Shoprite South Africa, about a minute away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for groceries, restaurants & bars, shopping, banks, parks, schools and books & libraries.
- Shoprite South Africa100 m · 1 min
- Boxer600 m · 7 min
- KWIKSPAR Fontana Twist810 m · 10 min
- Foodies at 120100 m · 1 min
- Sandwich Baron170 m · 2 min
- KFC180 m · 2 min
- End Street Mall110 m · 1 min
- Lukis Technology Computer Store120 m · 1 min
- Rage130 m · 2 min
- Laugh Therapy540 m · 7 min
- Faku Gaming Lounge & Cafe760 m · 9 min
- Virgin CAFE820 m · 10 min
- Nedbank490 m · 6 min
- African Bank540 m · 7 min
- FNB Park Central540 m · 7 min
- Central Park220 m · 3 min
- Unnamed park350 m · 4 min
- Joubert Park570 m · 7 min
- Baumann Barlow Early Childhood Development60 m · 1 min
- Mamusha Daycare And Pre-School60 m · 1 min
- Earlybird Educare@Towers Main60 m · 1 min
- Ocean's tidings bookshop trading as Glad tidings media bookshop300 m · 4 min
- Juta - University of Johannesburg740 m · 9 min
- University of Johannesburg - Doornfontein Campus800 m · 10 min
- Windybrow Theatre710 m · 9 min
- Ellis Park Rugby Museum910 m · 11 min
- Skyroom Live960 m · 12 min
Measured from the representative point at -26.1978, 28.0523. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the representative point there are about 120 street intersections per km², and blocks average 91 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
Walkability around the centre
Scores at seven points within 1 km of the centre range from 90 to 99, and Johannesburg's score of 96 is their median. Walkability is consistent across the centre.
| Point | Score | Map |
|---|---|---|
| City centre | 99 | Map |
| 1 km north | 92 | Map |
| 1 km east-northeast | 96 | Map |
| 1 km east-southeast | 96 | Map |
| 1 km south | 90 | Map |
| 1 km west-southwest | 98 | Map |
| 1 km west-northwest | 95 | Map |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Pretoria, South Africa | 53 km | 85 |
| Maputo, Mozambique | 455 km | 86 |
| Durban, South Africa | 502 km | 99 |
| Gqeberha, South Africa | 895 km | 83 |
| Harare, Zimbabwe | 983 km | 75 |
Questions about walking in Johannesburg
Is Johannesburg a walkable city?
Yes. Central Johannesburg has a walkability score of 96 out of 100, which makes it a Walker's Paradise, where daily errands do not require a car. It ranks 3rd of 5 cities in South Africa and 79th of 252 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in South Africa?
Durban is the most walkable of the 5 cities ranked in South Africa, with a score of 99. Johannesburg ranks 3rd with 96.
How does Johannesburg compare with nearby cities?
Johannesburg sits between its nearest ranked neighbours: Johannesburg scores 96, against Pretoria (85, 53 km away), Maputo (86, 455 km away) and Durban (99, 502 km away).
How is Johannesburg's walkability score calculated?
The score counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and deducts up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long. For Johannesburg it is the median of seven points within 1 km of the city centre, using open map data from Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.
Scores follow a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. City position and population from GeoNames.