If you are visiting South Africa for the first time there is a very good chance that your first stop will be at OR Tambo International Airport, the busiest airport in Africa handling more than 14 million passengers a year and employing some 18000 people. OR Tambo International Airport has recently completed a three-year rebuilding program. The airport is a 20-minute drive from the eastern suburbs of Johannesburg and a 45-minute trip from Sandton and Rosebank, where most hotels are found. Care should be taken at peak traffic times as the highways around Johannesburg become very congested.

The OR Tambo International Airport has two terminals. Terminal A is for international traffic and Terminal B for domestic flights. The terminals are connected and passengers can easily walk from one to the other. Each terminal has two levels. On the top you will find departures and on the bottom, arrivals. There are two hotels situated within a kilometer of the airport.

The newly completed airport has features that include a terminal for shuttle buses and taxis, a duty-free shop, an emergency medical clinic, prayer centres, a library, hairdressers, pharmacies, luggage deposits and a press-conference centre.