So your Halaal Accommodation in Port Elizabeth has been booked and you are preparing to hit the long road from Johannesburg. We’ve prepared some points to note before commencing your exciting trip.
The road from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth is a long one. It’s around 1060km (658mi) from City to City and depending on the time of the day that you leave or arrive you should also consider traffic when leaving and arriving and the time to find your accommodation if you are not already familiar with Port Elizabeth.
In winter where the days are shorter sunrise is around 6:30 – 7:00 am and Johannesburg traffic peaks between 7:00 – 8:00 am. Fajr sets in at 5:30 am so ideally you should try to pack your vehicle and fuel up the previous night so that you can get moving straight after Fajr (Subuh Sadiq) and get out of Johannesburg before the morning traffic rush.
In Summer the sun rises at around 5:15 and sets at 7:00pm which gives you around 12 hours to complete the journey should you leave immediately after Fajr salaah.
If you don’t mind leaving a bit later (after the rush hour traffic) you could always stop to pick up some padkos before departing. Take note of the Take-Away and Bakery opening times as some would only open after 9am. Krusties Bakery, Shop 1, Cnr Main Reef &, Crownwood Rd, Crown, Mines is ideally situated just before getting onto the freeway coming from central Johannesburg like Mayfair or Fordsburg. They stock a wide variety of confectionery and amazing pies that will come in handy after 4 hours on the road.
Toll Gates from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth
The first toll gate heading out of Johannesburg is the Grasmere toll where you would be expected to pay R25 followed by the Vaal toll which is R84.50 and the last toll in Verkeerdevlei will set you back R72.50. In total for a class 1 vehicle which is a car or SUV, you would be paying R182.50. [Updated June 2024]
There are no toll roads between Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth
Payments can be made in cash, debit or credit card or a bank issued petrol card.
What to see
The main road from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth doesn’t offer much to see other than vast open farms along the way and mountains. You might spot the odd Ostrich, Springbok or Kudu.
However, if you do not mind getting sidetracked or you have booked overnight accommodation in Bloemfontein or one of the other midway towns then stay tuned for our article Top five things to see on the road from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth. [Coming soon]
Traffic
Depending on the time of year that you travel would affect how many cars are on the road. Holiday periods and long weekends can get very busy while off-peak period the roads a generally quiet with only a couple of cars and trucks. The truck does cause delays and one should only overtake when 100% safe to do so.
Road maintenance takes place at random times during the year which could cause a delay in your arrival. From Johannesburg to Bloemfontein there are many dual lanes every few kilometres allowing cars to overtake trucks or other slower vehicles before they become single lanes again.
Road Safety
Some prefer night driving and while this has its benefits of little to no cars on the road there is always the risk of something happening on the road such as an accident, hitting a kudu or a blow out which would be challenging to fix in the dark with no street lights in the middle of nowhere and with no one nearby to assist. In case of an emergency please check the Muslim traveller emergency contact list. [Coming soon]
During the day there are always people on the road and with very little chance of hitting an animal as they usually not found on the road during the day.
Please be careful when overtaking and ensure that it is 100% safe to overtake before you do so. Take a break every two hours or so if you are feeling tired or drowsy.
Where to stay
Breaking the trip into two days allows one to enjoy the journey and stop for some sightseeing and exploring along the way. You would most likely need to find accommodation more or less midway the trip so the ideal place to overnight would be Bloemfontein or Colesburg or somewhere in between.
Where to eat
On the national highway, there are no Halaal certified food outlets except those that require you to drive into town. If you don’t have the time to do so it would be best to arrange some padkos (South African term for Food for the road) for the road before leaving. Cold drinks, snacks and coffee can be purchased along the at all filling stations on the way.
Wudhu and Salaah
Salaah can be performed at all major filling stations next to your car or in an open area where you can also perform wudhu. Most filling station lavatories do not allow wudhu so you would need to find a tap or otherwise fill a bottle and make wudhu next to your vehicle. The big filling stations also have eastern toilets which are hardly used by the non-Muslim public which makes it more convenient for those who prefer using them.
Try to perform your Salaah at the nearest place as soon as the time sets in as delaying this may cause you to miss it should you not find a suitable place to stop before the times runs out.
Filling Stations and taking a break
Even if you do not intend breaking your trip up you would need to stop for petrol and Salaah. In any case, it is advisable that the driver stops to stretch his / her legs and freshen up to avoid getting tired behind the wheel.
Engen and Shell offer the best service in terms of the parking facilities, well-stocked convenience stores, “clean” toilets and a playground or playing area for the cooped up children in the car. The spacious parking area provides ample space to perform Salaah.
Most filling stations do not allow wudhu to be performed inside the lavatory so one would need to find a tap or fill up a water bottle and perform wudhu outside or next to your vehicle.
Halaal accommodation in Port Elizabeth
If you still haven’t booked your accommodation in Port Elizabeth please see the Halaal accommodation list in Port Elizabeth.
