What airport parking at OR Tambo actually costs
ABC vs the airport's own parking, side by side
For a two-week trip, ABC Airport Parking Services costs a fixed R1,000 — roughly R71 per day — including 24/7 guarded security and a complimentary car wash. OR Tambo's own walk-up long-stay parking is published at about R80 per 24 hours (around R1,120 for 14 days), and the shaded multi-storey parkades at around R230 per 24 hours would cost over R3,000 for the same period.
14 days of parking, compared
| Option | Published basis | 14 days | After-hours fee | Car wash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC Airport Parking Rhodesfield, 2 km out | R1,000 fixed package | R1,000 | R0 (24/7 gate) | Free |
| OR Tambo parkade (P1 / P2) Shaded multi-storey | ~R230 per 24 hours | ~R3,220 | R0 | No |
| OR Tambo long-stay (P3) Walk-up, unshaded | ~R80 per 24 hours | ~R1,120 | R0 | No |
| OR Tambo pre-booked long-stay (P5) Booked 5+ days ahead | ~R72 per 24 hours | ~R1,008 | R0 | No |
| Meet-and-greet valet operators Various, city-wide | Typically R710–R1,150 | R710–R1,150 | Often R50–R300 | Usually not |
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
Sources and honesty note: airport figures are the tariffs published by ACSA for OR Tambo and were checked in October 2026. Airport tariffs change — confirm current rates on airports.co.za before you travel. Meet-and-greet figures are indicative across several operators and exclude late-night surcharges, which vary from R50 to R300.
The short version
Against the airport's own shaded parkades, off-site parking wins by a wide margin on any trip longer than a couple of days. Against the airport's cheapest pre-booked long-stay it is closer — but that comparison ignores what is included. We are not the cheapest valet operation in Johannesburg and we do not claim to be. What we do claim is that a long stay here includes a complimentary car wash, locked key custody, and a manned gate at 2am with no surcharge.
The costs that don't show up in the headline rate
Headline daily rates are only part of the bill. These are the extras that catch people out elsewhere:
- Late-return surcharges. Some operators charge R150–R300 for collections between midnight and 3am. We do not — the gate is manned 24/7/365. See the full after-hours comparison.
- Late-arrival fees. A few valet operations add a fee if you drop off after hours. We have no such fee.
- Operating hours. Some yards close in the evening, which is a problem if your flight lands at 23:00.
- Car wash. Charged as an extra almost everywhere else. It is included here on every stay.
- Booking fees. None. The price you see in the calculator is the price you pay.
When staying at the airport is the better choice
To be fair: if you are away for less than 24 hours, the airport parkade is simpler — you park inside the terminal complex and walk straight into the building. Official parking also makes sense if you need to be inside the terminal within a minute of locking the car. For anything longer than a couple of days, the arithmetic flips quickly.
Quick cost calculator
Rather than doing the maths in your head: put your dates in and the calculator returns the exact total, including the 14-day special.