A private shuttle service gives you a vehicle and a driver for your party alone. It leaves when you are ready, goes where you ask and shares the seats with nobody else. In Johannesburg that usually means a pre-booked, fixed-fare transfer from OR Tambo or Lanseria, a corporate run, an event drop-off or a day out with a driver. This guide explains how it works, how the fare is built and what to confirm before you book.
TL;DR
- A private shuttle is booked for your party only, so there are no other stops and no waiting for a full vehicle.
- The fare is normally per vehicle, not per head, so a group of four or nine can split the same price.
- Our published fares start at R736 from OR Tambo to Sandton and R739 from Lanseria to Sandton.
- Give the operator your flight number, passenger count and luggage, and expect a driver with a name board in arrivals.
- Use only operators with PrDP-licensed drivers, and never accept a ride offered inside the terminal.
Table of Contents
- What a private shuttle service actually is
- The kinds of private shuttle you can book
- How private shuttle pricing works
- How to arrange a pickup at OR Tambo or Lanseria
- Safety and licensing: what to check
- Private group shuttles: what organisers should confirm
- Using a private shuttle for sightseeing
- Our perspective
- Book your private shuttle
- FAQ
- Sources
What a private shuttle service actually is
A private shuttle is a pre-arranged transfer in a vehicle reserved for you. You choose the pickup point, the drop-off and, in most cases, the time. The driver is yours for that journey.
A shared shuttle works the other way round. Several passengers or groups travel in one vehicle, often on a set route or timetable, and the vehicle may stop at other addresses first. It can be cheaper per seat, but your arrival time depends on everyone else’s.
The practical differences are easy to list:
| Private shuttle | Shared shuttle | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is in the vehicle | Only your party | Other passengers too |
| Route | Direct, door to door | Several drops |
| Timing | Built around your flight or event | Built around the schedule |
| Pricing | Usually per vehicle | Usually per seat |
| Best for | Families, groups, business travellers, late or early arrivals | Solo travellers on a tight budget |
The airport guides that cover OR Tambo describe the private option in the same way: the driver meets you in arrivals with a name board and takes you straight to your accommodation, home or office anywhere in Gauteng.
The kinds of private shuttle you can book
The label covers several different jobs. Knowing which one you need makes the quote easier to compare.
Airport transfers
This is the most common booking. A driver collects you from OR Tambo or Lanseria and takes you to a hotel, office or home. We run both airports, and our airport transfers page lists fixed fares to the most requested suburbs. If you only need the Sandton run, the OR Tambo to Sandton shuttle page has the detail.
Corporate and staff transport
Companies book private shuttles for visiting executives, staff shifts and client pickups. The value here is consistency: the same standard of vehicle and driver each time, with a single point of contact. Our corporate shuttle services cover staff transport, executive chauffeur work and VIP transfers.
Events, weddings and conferences
A concert, a match, a wedding or a conference needs people to arrive together and on time. Private group vehicles let an organiser control the schedule rather than rely on hundreds of separate lifts. Hotel and conference runs are covered on our hotel shuttles page.
Long-distance and sightseeing trips
Private shuttles also take guests to Sun City, to safari parks, or on cultural and nature tours with the driver staying with you for the day. Details of day tours and inter-city trips sit on our private transport page.
How private shuttle pricing works
The most useful thing to understand is that a private shuttle is priced on the vehicle and the route. It is not priced on the number of seats you fill.
That has two consequences. First, a family of five in one vehicle pays one fare for the journey. Second, the price changes mainly when the vehicle size or the distance changes, not when one more person joins.
What our published fares look like
These are the fares published on our site. They are “from” prices, which means the final quote depends on vehicle and details of the trip.
| Route | Fare |
|---|---|
| OR Tambo to Sandton | from R736 |
| OR Tambo to Rosebank | from R720 |
| OR Tambo to Midrand | from R720 |
| OR Tambo to Pretoria | from R1119 |
| Lanseria to Sandton | from R739 |
Our pricing is fixed and transparent, with no hidden fees. Two items are worth knowing about in advance. Airport waiting time is charged at R200 per hour, and card payments carry a 4% processing fee. Both are shown on our site, so you can budget before you book.
What moves the total
- Vehicle size. A sedan, a 9-seater minivan, a 13-seater minibus and a 22-seater bus are priced differently. Choose the smallest vehicle that fits people and luggage comfortably.
- Distance and destination. Sandton, Rosebank and Midrand sit close to OR Tambo. Pretoria is further, and the fare reflects it.
- Waiting time. If your flight is delayed, the driver tracking your flight adjusts the pickup. Waiting beyond the agreed window after you land is charged hourly.
- Time of day and extras. Very early or late runs, extra stops and special services such as escorts are quoted individually.
- Payment method. Paying by card adds the processing fee mentioned above.
When you compare quotes from any operator, ask whether the figure is per vehicle or per person, whether waiting time is included and whether the quote is fixed. A low headline price that excludes these is not the same product.
How to arrange a pickup at OR Tambo or Lanseria
Booking in advance is the standard approach, and it matters most for early morning and late-night flights. The airport transfer guides for OR Tambo advise pre-booking and giving your flight number, arrival time and destination.
A simple routine works well:
- Book before you fly. Use the operator’s online booking or phone. Choose the route and vehicle.
- Give the flight number. This lets the operator monitor your flight. We track flights so that a delayed or early landing does not leave you waiting or the driver idle.
- State passengers and bags. Count large suitcases, golf bags and prams, not only people.
- Confirm the meeting point. The usual arrangement is a driver in arrivals holding a name board. Ask what name will be on it and how to reach the driver by phone.
- Keep the driver’s details. Save the name, number and vehicle registration from the confirmation.
- Plan the payment. Decide in advance whether you will pay by card or another method, bearing the fee in mind.
If you are travelling the other way, the same logic applies. Our Sandton to OR Tambo shuttle page covers departures, where the main variable is leaving enough time for check-in and Johannesburg traffic.
Safety and licensing: what to check
Safety is the reason many travellers choose a pre-booked private shuttle over an unplanned ride. A few checks take two minutes and are worth doing every time.
Check the driver is permitted to carry passengers. South African law requires a professional driving permit (PrDP) for anyone driving passengers for an income, in addition to an ordinary licence. Our drivers hold PrDPs, and you can ask any operator the same question.
Confirm the driver and vehicle. Before you get in, match the driver’s name and the vehicle registration against your booking confirmation. The OR Tambo guidance is to use established operators and confirm both details.
Decline unsolicited offers in the terminal. The same guide advises never accepting a ride from someone who approaches you inside the terminal, because unofficial touts may be uninsured and set arbitrary fares. Walk to your pre-arranged driver instead.
Read the terms. Look for the cancellation policy, what happens if your flight is delayed, how waiting time is charged and what the quote includes.
Private group shuttles: what organisers should confirm
A private group shuttle is the same idea scaled up. Instead of a sedan, you book a minivan, minibus or bus for the whole party. Group bookings go wrong on small details, so confirm these before paying.
Capacity and luggage
Seat count on paper is not the same as comfortable capacity once bags are loaded. Our fleet runs from sedans to a 9-seater minivan, a 13-seater minibus and a 22-seater bus. As a rule of thumb, if every passenger has a large suitcase, step up a size or split the group across two vehicles.
Pickup arrangements
- Will everyone arrive on the same flight? If not, decide whether the driver waits or you book separate runs.
- Where will the group gather, and who holds the name board?
- Who is the single contact for the driver on the day?
- What happens if the group is late? Agree the waiting terms in advance.
Route and timing
For events, ask about drop-off points near the venue, the return pickup time and how traffic is handled. For conferences with several hotels, a single scheduled loop is often simpler than many individual transfers.
Using a private shuttle for sightseeing
Visitors with a few days in Gauteng often use a private driver for the day rather than hiring a car. The driver handles navigation and parking, and you set the pace at each stop.
Before you confirm a tour, agree these points:
- The itinerary. List each stop and roughly how long you want at each.
- Duration and hours. Confirm start time, finish time and what happens if you want to extend.
- What the price covers. Entry fees, meals and guide services are often separate from the vehicle fare.
- Distance. Trips to Sun City or safari parks are long days, so confirm the vehicle and pickup time.
- Pace and mobility. Tell the operator about children, older passengers or anyone who needs step-free access.
We arrange cultural and nature tours and longer runs on request, and these are quoted to the itinerary.
Our perspective
We started A2B Shuttle in 2016, founded by a driver who had seen what went wrong when transport was treated as an afterthought. That experience still shapes how we work.
The first thing we hold to is safety. Our drivers carry PrDPs, our vehicles are inspected regularly and we pay our drivers directly, because a driver who is treated well looks after passengers better.
The second is that arrival should not be stressful. We monitor flights so a delay does not become your problem, and our drivers meet you and help with bags.
The third is honest pricing. Fixed fares, no hidden fees, and the few extras, such as waiting time and card processing, are published in advance. Across more than 5,000 trips for tourists, companies and event organisers, that approach is what has earned us repeat bookings and a near-perfect Google rating.
If you want a private shuttle in Johannesburg, book the vehicle that matches your group and tell us the details. We will do the rest.
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Book your private shuttle
We run private shuttles from OR Tambo and Lanseria, plus corporate, event and group transfers across Johannesburg and beyond. For a standard airport run, start with our fixed-fare OR Tambo airport transfers, or arrange a quote for a group or event through the A2B Shuttle homepage.
Have your flight number, passenger count and luggage details ready and booking takes a few minutes.
FAQ
Is a private shuttle priced per person or per vehicle?
Private shuttles are usually priced per vehicle and route, so the fare is the same whether you fill two seats or six. Some services, such as shared shuttles, charge per seat. Always ask the operator which basis the quote uses.
How much is a private shuttle from OR Tambo to Sandton?
Our published fare starts from R736 for OR Tambo to Sandton. Airport waiting time is R200 per hour and card payments carry a 4% processing fee. The final quote depends on the vehicle and trip details.
How do I know the driver is legitimate?
Check that the driver’s name and vehicle registration match your booking confirmation, and ask the operator whether drivers hold a PrDP. Never accept a ride offered inside the terminal. Wait for your pre-arranged driver with the name board.
Can I book a private shuttle for a large group?
Yes. We offer a 9-seater minivan, a 13-seater minibus and a 22-seater bus. Tell us the number of passengers and how much luggage you have, and we will recommend the right vehicle or a split across two.
Sources
- OR Tambo Airport Transfers guide, Johannesburg-airport.co.za
- Apply for a professional driving permit, South African Government
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