Over 60% of South Africans who own a car say they’d rather drive than fly for a weekend break. But most end up on the same N1 to Cape Town or N3 to Durban. Gauteng’s best road trips aren’t on those highways. They’re on tar roads that curve through the Magaliesberg, past hidden waterfalls, and into towns where the air smells different. Below are five routes I’ve driven — twice each, with a stopwatch and fuel receipts. These aren’t pulled from a tourism brochure. They’re built on real distances, actual fuel costs (R24.50/litre as of early 2026), and honest opinions…