Students, backpackers, and even local tourists will benefit from these accommodation options in Johannesburg when every cost counts, or when your pocket isn’t as deep as you would like.
From B&BS, guest houses, and two-star rating hotels: one can get accommodation for as low as $20 a night, and at an establishment that has more than enough services to suit any needs.
Something to note maybe is that to get the best deals, using online booking sites such as booking.com is the better choice.
Through these sites, you will get better discounts than a direct booking, and get more bang for your buck, regardless of the price point.
Another thing to note is that food isn’t usually part of the cheapest packages, but it can be an added extra.
Also, some of these establishments have kitchens that will allow you to more than cater to your own needs 🙂
Below is a list of some of the hotels with the best deals for backpackers, students, and budget travelers.
If on the other hand, you are looking for more luxurious places to stay in Johannesburg, I can refer you to my other article.
1. Evelyn Place Guest House
This guest house called Evelyns’ Place offers a piece of home, away from home. The lodge has nonsmoking rooms that all have internal bathrooms, air conditioning, satellite television, free Wi-Fi, a kitchenette, and daily service.
It is six kilometers from Sandton City Mall, nine kilometers from Montecasino, and 21 km from Gold Reef City.
The guest house is close to all the popular spots in Johannesburg if you want to go out for a bit of shopping, entertainment, good food, or fun.
The place is cozy and quiet offering guests ample chance to relax from the hustle and bustle of the city.
2. MINT Express Melrose View
The best feature of this hotel is the all-fresh, all-new Fresh Café, and an all-day dining restaurant.
Located on the M1 highway, off Corlett Drive, the hotel Mint Express Melrose View, offers guests, standard, deluxe suites, or special assistance rooms.
The hotel offers a 24-hour front desk, snack bar, garden, free WI-FI, and parking. The rooms are fully tiled, and boast a fully equipped kitchenette; the appliances necessary to cook, a television, and a private bathroom.
Sandton Mall is 2.9 km away, Johannesburg Stadium is 8 km away and the nearest airport is O.R. Tambo International airport which is 16 km away.
3. Fenrez @ 363
This institution called Fenrez@363 offers students and other budget travelers a space that is homely, a place where they can chill, relax, socialize and have fun.
The property can sit 35 lodgers in either single or shared rooms. All 21 rooms have en suite bathroom facilities, with different room configurations, with balconies and some without.
The lodge is nine kilometers from Sandton City Mall, nine kilometers from Montecasino, and 17 km from Johannesburg Stadium.
The accommodation offers a shared kitchen area, concierge services, and guided tours around Johannesburg. The nearest airport is the Lanseria International airport, 23 km away.
4. Melville House
This guest house is located in the leafy suburbs of Melville, Johannesburg.
The place is 6.4 km from Gold Reef City, and 6.6 km from the Apartheid museum, and the nearest airport is 24.1 km from O.R. Tambo International airport.
The property has a variety of rooms catering to various guests’ interests.
These include private rooms, dormitories, and family rooms all with en suite bathrooms.
There are two communal kitchens that always have a ready cup of tea and coffee for the guests.
The guest house also boasts a swimming pool, BBQ area, free Wi-Fi, and linens in all the rooms, what better place to find budget accommodation in Johannesburg.
5. Legacy Guest House
Legacy Guest House is a 3-star establishment that is 3.2 km from Origins Centre Museum, a 30-minute walk to Johannesburg city center, 25 minutes to Constitution Hill, and 2.7 km from the Johannesburg zoo.
The rooms come equipped with a small refrigerator, television, en suite bathroom, and free Wi-Fi.
The nearest airport is the Rand airport which is about 20 km from the establishment.
Breakfast is offered but at a small charge, while snacks and beverages can be purchased at the reception.
This guest house is located conveniently close to a lot of the great historical and tourist sites in Johannesburg.
6. Royal Crown Guesthouse
The Royal Crown Guest House is a 15-room establishment that is 1.7 km from Johannesburg Stadium, 1.6 km from the Arts On Main, 23 km from O.R. Tambo International airport, and a 30-minute walk to Johannesburg center.
The rooms have satellite television, a private bathroom, and a wardrobe. For driving guests those guests who will be driving, the establishment has free parking. Other amenities include a 24-hour front desk, airport transfers, room service, and free Wi-Fi.
7. Valley Centre Guest House
This is a location where your comfort and safety are of paramount importance.
The Guest House has free and secure parking spaces, surveilled by a CCTV system.
The Guest House is close in proximity to a variety of shops, pubs, nightclubs, casinos, theatres, art galleries, restaurants, and the Johannesburg city zoo.
8. Gemini Backpackers Lodge
This lodge provides a calm space, to relax away from the hustle of Jo’burg.
It is set in a large garden, with a swimming pool, and ample parking spaces for all the guests who will be driving.
Other amenities include a tennis court, snooker table, camping grounds, pub, gym equipment, luggage storage, and free Wi-Fi.
The lodge has two sections, one which accommodates independent travelers while the other completely separate section houses groups of people up to 20.
The Guest house provides sleeping essentials, and the rooms are cleaned daily.
For a small charge, you can receive nutrition, or prepare your own meals in a large outdoor kitchen.
The lodge also arranges tours, complete with registered tour guides around Johannesburg. It is also conveniently close to O.R. Tambo International Airport and offers shuttle services.
9. Dusk Till Dawn Backpackers Lodge
This backpackers lodge (they seem to be only reachable on Facebook), is situated in the Kensington hills overlooking the Eastern part of Johannesburg, where guests will enjoy spectacular sunrise and sunsets, in one of the most budget-friendly accommodation spots in Johannesburg.
The rooms offered range from single, family, and dormitory rooms. The family rooms are also split with one option having an en suite bathroom and the other having a communal bathroom.
The single room sleeps two, and the dormitory can comfortably hold up to 10 guests with shared amenities.
There is also a communal kitchen, and there is a bar if you need to chill some more.
One of the featured amenities that the lodge has is a Boma area overlooking the Kensington valley. The nearest airport is the Johannesburg International Airport, at 17.3 km.
10. Rosebank Boarding Hostel
The hotel is in Sandton and offers clean, comfortable, and cheap accommodation in Johannesburg for all kinds of guests be it, backpackers, students, or families.
The hotel is situated a few minutes’ walks from the Rosebank Mall, the Art Nouveau Theatre, art galleries, bars clubs, and restaurants.
The hotel offers free Wi-Fi, secure parking facilities, secure storage options, clean blankets and linens, a fully equipped self-catering kitchen, a swimming pool, and 24 hrs. transport and airport pickup.
11. 59 on Eighth Hostel
This hostel is located just 2.7 km from the Johannesburg Stadium, ten kilometers from Gold Reef City Casino, ten kilometers from the Apartheid Museum, and 21 km from the nearest airport; O.R. Tambo International Airport.
This facility has a 24-hour front desk, a shared kitchen, and free Wi-Fi. The establishment also offers beddings.
All rooms are fitted with seating areas and you can play dart at the hostel.
12. Accoustix Backpackers Hostel
Situated in the Randburg region of Johannesburg, this hostel specializes in handling large groups of up to 100 people or more.
For those who would like to experience a South African social experience then this is the place for you.
Other than large groups from schools, churches, and organizations, discounts are offered to also musicians, as long as they participate in the playing of the acoustic instruments at the BBQ area.
The rooms are clean, simple, and basic, with the hostel providing all the beddings for the bed.
In case of winter chills, just inform the front desk and heating support will be provided.
The dormitories hold between 6 to 8 people.
Internet unfortunately isn’t free, and starts from as low as two Rand and increases with more bandwidth, but is still affordable. The fee on the internet is to cover agent costs.
You can cater to your nutritional needs in the communal kitchen or just order from restaurants outside.
13. Kamp David Lodge
Kamp David Lodge is 3.4 km from Johannesburg Stadium and is a good accommodation in Johannesburg for the price.
It is located 11 km from the Gold reef city casino and O.R. Tambo International airport is 33.6 km away.
The guest house provides adult accommodations, complemented by a bar, a garden, a shared lounge, and children-friendly accommodations complimented by a children’s playground.
The establishment also offers a 24-hour front desk, a shared kitchen, and a currency exchange.
Guests also enjoy fast and free WI-FI, a continental breakfast at an added cost, and a billiards table.
Related article: Africa on a budget: tips and advice to make your overlander trip less expensive.
My Final Conclusion.
I hope that you are well informed enough now on where to find affordable accommodation in Johanessburg.
But if you have any more questions, please feel free to ask them below in the comment section or join me on one of my social media platforms!
I wish you happy travels!
Kind regards,
Lizzy
I now have a YouTube channel as well!
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Hello Africa travellers!
Who am I? Well, the least you can say is that I am quite crazy about Africa, its nature, its climate, its culture, and more.
As a young woman in my twenties, I had already traveled to several African countries by traveling along in an overlander on my own and mostly camping ( or glamping ) and just fell in love with the diversity of it all.
So much, so that at the age of 26, I went back to university to study biology, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t finish because of health reasons (yes, I got sick from a tropical disease, oh cynicism). But this did not stop my dream of traveling back to Africa several times, and I still do.
My dream was back then to leave Europe and go study animal behavior, especially the elephants (sure, that’s every girl’s dream haha), but I am also very much intrigued by hyenas and other “ugly African animals“.
So, I “kind of” have a little bit of a scientific approach to my articles, when I write about African birds, for example. And most of all: the passion.
But life goes on, you move from one side of the country to the other, you get sick again and top it off with lower back problems, and before you know it, you are over 50 hahaha!
Now, I still travel to Africa, but take it a bit “easier” than the good old camping days, and stay in comfortable, yet affordable accommodations, together with my husband Wouter.
These are some of the countries I have traveled to: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tunisia, and a little bit of Lesotho LOL .
While clearly not being African territory, but Spanish, I also visited Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and location-wise, I consider them “African”, because of their climate and nature, sue me :-p
The last trip I took was to South Africa in the year 2023, and it sure got the fevers for Africa back! From the Barberton mountains to the Drakensberg and the Southcoast, one month wasn’t enough at all to see the whole country, so we’ll be back! At ease and with a little bit more luxury than in my younger days haha!
I wish you happy travels!
Kind regards
Lizzy
Many thanks for this comprehensive johannesburg accommodation post. I like to travel a lot. But I haven’t been to South Africa yet. I am planning to go though. That’s why your post is so valuable. Although you mentioned that the price is cheap, these are very nice places. I love this gemini backpackers lodge. Many thanks for this post.
Hi Pasindu
Thank you very much for your positive comment and I hope that you will enjoy South Africa soon 😉
Happy travels!
Kind regards,
Lizzy
If there is one place in all of Afrika I would like to visit then that would definitely be Johannesburg. But it is not as widely advertised as some other more touristic cities so it is not so easy to find what you need like hotels, restaurants and the likes. So your guide will surely be very helpful for many interested in such a trip including myself. Thanks a lot for the info!
Hi Stratos!
i was looking for accommodation in Johannesburg myself one day, so I recognize the struggle! But Johannesburg is definitely worth a visit, have a look at my blog post on 15 things to visit in Johannesburg and enjoy your stay!
Kind regards,
Lizzy