HartRAO Home > How to get to HartRAO > from Johannesburg and Roodepoort via Hendrik Potgieter (M47)

From central Johannesburg travel westwards via Kingsway - Perth Road - Main Road - Ontdekkers Road towards Florida / Roodepoort.

From southern Johannesburg take the N1 north and the Gordon road offramp - turn left then first right onto Hendrick Potgieter.

Turn right into Hendrik Potgieter (M47 - Little Falls Road). Continue on the M47 past the Florida Hyperama to the intersection of the M47 and R28/N14, about 14 km after the Hyperama. Carry straight on, past the Sasol Pinehaven garage on the N14.

Follow the N14 for 10 km to a T-junction at the Oaktree garage. Turn right and when the road forks after 1 km, go right towards Hekpoort on the R563.

Pass the Sterkfontein and Greensleeves turnoffs. Eight km after Oaktree, pass the turnoff on the left to Magaliesburg / Maropeng. 0.6 km later turn right onto the Broederstroom road. The Broederstroom sign is missing, but there is a brown T7 sign. Continue for 10km.

Do not enter the TELKOM Earth Station which is about 3 km before Hartebeesthoek HartRAO/CSIR site, coming from the Krugersdorp side. The entrance to the TELKOM Earth Station is not signposted, but there are four satellite dishes around a blue-roofed building close to the road at its entrance.

The entrance to the HartRAO / CSIR-SAC site is on the left-hand side at the 34 km marker. There are signs "Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory" and "HartRAO" behind the fence, to the left of the gate, and "Satellite Application Centre / CSIR" to the right of the gate.

Once inside the gates of CSIR-SAC and HartRAO, drive 3 km down into the valley. After 1 km you will pass the CSIR's Satellite Application Centre on the right. HartRAO is at the end of a steep descent into a valley.

Here is a map in pdf format.

Note that all visits must be booked in advance.