How much is the Intercape bus from Johannesburg to Kathu?

Bus ticket prices have ranged from R420 to R1,010 this year. Currently, the cheapest available one-way ticket is R680.

How long is the bus ride from Johannesburg to Kathu?

The average journey by bus takes approximately 9 hours and 5 minutes.

Do pensioners get a discount on Intercape buses?

Yes, senior citizens (60 years and older) qualify for a 15% discount on Intercape Flexi and Full Flexi tickets. Note that Saver tickets do not qualify for this discount.

Intercape Bus Tickets from Johannesburg to Kathu

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Intercape offers bus tickets from Johannesburg to Kathu, with 1-way prices having ranged from R420 to R1,010 during 2026:

The current cheapest one-way Intercape bus ticket from Johannesburg to Kathu is R680 in Saver class on a Big Sky Intercity coach; taking Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-VRG-POST scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 20:00 on Sun 12 Jul 2026 and scheduled to arrive in Kathu at 06:35 on Mon 13 Jul 2026 (duration of 10 hours 35 minutes).
- For pensioners (60 and older), the current cheapest one-way ticket is R629 in Flexi class (with a 15% discount applied); taking Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-VRG-POST departing Johannesburg at 20:00 on Sun 12 Jul 2026 and arriving in Kathu at 06:35 on Mon 13 Jul 2026 (duration of 10 hours 35 minutes).
Average one-way ticket prices are Saver: R569, Flexi: R630, Full Flexi: R707. Lower Flexi and Full Flexi fares may be achieved if any discounts are applicable.
- For pensioners the average 1-way prices are: Saver: R569, Flexi: R536, Full Flexi: R601.

The journey takes on average 9 hours and 5 minutes.

7-Day Fare Heatmap: Johannesburg to Kathu

Select a date block below to view the full schedule for that day. Green indicates the lowest fare.

Sun 12 Jul R680 Mon 13 Jul R680 Tue 14 Jul R740 Wed 15 Jul R740

Thu 16 Jul N/A

Fri 17 Jul N/A

Sat 18 Jul N/A

Intercape Ticket Classes Explained: Saver vs Flexi vs Full Flexi

Understand the exact differences in allowances, amendment fees, and cancellation policies before making your booking.

Feature	Saver	Flexi	Full Flexi
Price Level	Cheapest	Standard	Premium
Luggage Allowance	15 kg (2 pieces max)	20 kg (2 pieces max)	25 kg (2 pieces max)
Seat Reservations	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Qualifies for Discounts? (e.g. Pensioner, Student)	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ticket Amendment Fee (Changes up to 15 min before departure)	25% Fee	15% Fee	10% Fee
Cancellation Policy	75% refund (Must cancel 48h before)	85% refund (Must cancel 24h before)	90% refund (Must cancel 12h before)

Intercape Prices & Schedule from Johannesburg to Kathu

Prices last checked and verified on: 2026-05-16 15:38:10

All prices in South African Rand (ZAR).

Route	Coach Type	Depart (JOHANNESBURG - Intercape Office, C/O Rissik and Wolmarans Street (Johannesburg Station))	Arrive (KATHU - Elegant Fuel, Frikkie Meyer Street (Kathu Motors))	Full Flexi (ZAR)	Flexi (ZAR)	Saver (ZAR)
Mainliner PTA-UPT-CA	Mainliner	Sun 12 Jul 2026 07:15am	Sun 12 Jul 2026 4:35pm	990	910	840
Mainliner PTA-UPT	Mainliner	Sun 12 Jul 2026 7:00pm	Mon 13 Jul 2026 03:05am	880	800	740
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-VRG-POST	Big Sky Intercity	Sun 12 Jul 2026 8:00pm	Mon 13 Jul 2026 06:35am	840	740	680
Mainliner PTA-UPT-CA	Mainliner	Mon 13 Jul 2026 07:15am	Mon 13 Jul 2026 4:35pm	990	910	840
Mainliner PTA-UPT	Mainliner	Mon 13 Jul 2026 7:00pm	Tue 14 Jul 2026 03:05am	880	800	740
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-VRG-POST	Big Sky Intercity	Mon 13 Jul 2026 8:00pm	Tue 14 Jul 2026 06:35am	840	740	680
Mainliner PTA-UPT-CA	Mainliner	Tue 14 Jul 2026 07:15am	Tue 14 Jul 2026 4:35pm	1,010	930	860
Mainliner PTA-UPT	Mainliner	Tue 14 Jul 2026 7:00pm	Wed 15 Jul 2026 03:05am	880	800	740
Mainliner PTA-UPT-CA	Mainliner	Wed 15 Jul 2026 07:15am	Wed 15 Jul 2026 4:35pm	990	910	840
Mainliner PTA-UPT	Mainliner	Wed 15 Jul 2026 7:00pm	Thu 16 Jul 2026 03:05am	880	800	740

Price Statistics per Intercape pay class (Year 2026)

Ticket Type	Lowest Price	Highest Price	Average Price
Saver	420	860	569
Flexi	490	930	630
Full Flexi	550	1,010	707

Intercape Routes from Johannesburg to Kathu

Mainliner PTA-UPT-CA
Mainliner PTA-UPT
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-VRG-POST

Travel Time Scheduled (Year 2026)

The quickest bus takes 8h 5m, slowest 10h 35m, average 9h 5m.

Departures vary from 7:15am to 8:00pm. Arrivals from 3:05am to 4:35pm.

Travelling for a major life event?

If you are relocating to the Cape or travelling to manage family affairs, ensure your legal requirements are in order.

Passenger Reviews: Johannesburg to Kathu

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Bus Route Map

Intercape Bus Route Locations & Safety Ratings

From: Johannesburg

Address: Intercape Office at Johannesburg Park Station - Park City Transit Centre - on the corner of Wolmarans and Rissik St in the Johannesburg CBD

Province: Gauteng

Safety Rating: 2/10

Extremely busy transport hub. Very high risk of pickpocketing and scams outside the terminal. Do not walk outside alone, use e-hailing from inside the designated areas.

Contact: Phone Intercape at 021-3804400 or phone Big Sky Intercity at 087-8218218

Latitude: -26.19704997

Longitude: 28.04221218

Uber Availability: Available.

Need a safe ride from the station?

Get a ZAR 50 Discount Off Your First 5 Trips

Location: View Johannesburg on Google Maps

To: Kathu

Address: Elegant Fuel, Frikkie Meyer St (Kathu Motors)

Province: Northern Cape

Safety Rating: 3/10

Public street stop. Normal vigilance required. Try to have a lift arranged if arriving late at night.

Contact: Phone Intercape at 021-3804400 or phone Big Sky Intercity at 087-8218218

Latitude: -27.6905631

Longitude: 23.0719358

Uber Availability: Available.

Need a safe ride from the station?

Get a ZAR 50 Discount Off Your First 5 Trips

Location: View Kathu on Google Maps

General Safety considerations

Please check the specific safety ratings for your departure and arrival stations above. Many bus stops have safety issues; it is better to arrive at bus stops while the sun is still shining (nighttime is always riskier), with weekdays generally being safer than weekends. Do not display valuables, keep them safe and out of sight. Plan in advance how you will get from your final Intercape bus stop to your destination so as to minimise time at the bus stop.

Why so slow?

You may be wondering why the journeys take so long. Part of the reason is that Intercape have a self-imposed speed limit of 95km/h on national roads and 40km/h on mountain passes - this is for safety reasons. Speed kills.

Intercape Bus Tickets from Kathu to Johannesburg

What about the return journey? View prices and departure times for Intercape buses travelling from Kathu to Johannesburg.