Gauteng is one of the easiest parts of Africa to stay healthy in: it has good private hospitals, plenty of pharmacies and no malaria. A little preparation still goes a long way. Here is what visitors should know.
Last checked: October 2026. Health rules can change, so confirm anything important with a travel clinic or your doctor.
Yellow fever
You need proof of yellow fever vaccination if you are over one year old and are travelling from a country with a risk of yellow fever, or have spent more than 12 hours in transit at an airport in one. Without a valid certificate you can be refused entry or placed under quarantine surveillance for up to six days.
The certificate becomes valid 10 days after you are vaccinated and then lasts for life, so get the jab at least 10 days before you fly. You do not need a yellow fever vaccination if you are arriving from a country without that risk.
Malaria
Gauteng is not a malaria area. If you plan to travel on to the Kruger National Park, the Mpumalanga lowveld, north-eastern Limpopo or northern KwaZulu-Natal, you will be in a malaria transmission area, where the risk is highest from about September to May. Speak to a travel clinic about prevention before you go, and check the latest risk map from the National Institute for Communicable Diseases.
Water
Most people in Gauteng’s cities drink water straight from the tap. Supply problems do happen, though, and Johannesburg Water has issued short-term “do not drink” advisories for specific suburbs while it tests and flushes pipes. Follow any local notices, and if the water looks or smells unusual, drink bottled water, which is sold everywhere. Never drink untreated water from rivers or streams.
Sun
Gauteng sits high on the Highveld and is sunny for much of the year, and the sun is strong even on cloudy days. Wear sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses when you are outdoors, especially between 10am and 4pm, and drink plenty of water. Visitors from cooler climates burn more easily than they expect.
Medical care
Gauteng has well-equipped private and public hospitals and a wide range of doctors and specialists. Private hospitals often ask for payment upfront or proof of travel or medical insurance, so take out cover before you travel and keep the details with you. Travel clinics can advise on vaccines and malaria prevention, and pharmacies in every mall stock over-the-counter medicine for colds, upset stomachs and pain.
What to pack
- Enough of your prescription medicine for the whole trip, in its original packaging, in your hand luggage
- Something for an upset stomach
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Insect repellent, especially if you are heading to a malaria area
Sexual health
South Africa has a high rate of HIV infection. Always use condoms, which are easy to find in pharmacies and supermarkets.
On the road
Drinking and driving is a criminal offence. Under the National Road Traffic Act, the legal limit for most drivers is 0.05 grams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, or 0.24 milligrams per 1 000 millilitres of breath. For professional drivers it is lower. The simplest rule is not to drink at all if you are driving, and to use an e-hailing app, a taxi or the Gautrain instead. Wear a seatbelt at all times, and a helmet on any bicycle or motorbike.
