--- title: "Johannesburg vs London: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Johannesburg and London — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/johannesburg-vs-london pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Johannesburg ($13/sqft, 16.2% vacancy) and London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Johannesburg on rent and tax and London on talent depth. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Johannesburg $13/sqft vs London $121/sqft. - Vacancy: Johannesburg 16.2% vs London 8.6%. - Talent index: Johannesburg 78 vs London 96. - Corporate tax: Johannesburg 27% vs London 25%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Johannesburg $320 vs London $1,380. # Johannesburg vs London: Class A office comparison **Johannesburg ($13/sqft, 16.2% vacancy) and London ($121/sqft, 8.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Johannesburg on rent and tax and London on talent depth.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Johannesburg $13/sqft vs London $121/sqft. - Vacancy: Johannesburg 16.2% vs London 8.6%. - Talent index: Johannesburg 78 vs London 96. - Corporate tax: Johannesburg 27% vs London 25%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Johannesburg $320 vs London $1,380. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Johannesburg | London| | Region | EMEA | EMEA| | Country | South Africa | United Kingdom| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $13 | $121| | Class A rent (local) | 220 ZAR | 95 GBP| | Vacancy | 16.2% | 8.6%| | Trend | flat | rising| | Prime yield | 9.4% | 4.5%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $320 | $1,380| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 7| | Corporate tax | 27% | 25%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Johannesburg | London| | Typical term | 5 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 6 mos | 24 mos| | Lease norms | Net leases. 5-7 year terms with escalation clauses. Free rent of 4-8 months and TI of ZAR 800-1,500/sqm typical on a 5-year deal. | London leases are predominantly Full Repairing and Insuring (FRI). Tenant pays service charge and is responsible for dilapidations on lease end. Rent reviews to open-market rent every 5 years are standard. Rent-free periods of 18-30 months on a 10-year term are typical, with 'capped' rent-free for break-clause certainty. Personal guarantees are uncommon for institutional tenants; rent deposits are common for younger covenants.| | Tax note | 27% South African corporate income tax. SEZ incentives available. Dividends withholding tax 20%. | UK corporation tax is 25% (19% small profits rate). Business rates are a major occupancy cost — ~50% of rateable value annually, levied separately from rent and service charge.| ## Talent | Metric | Johannesburg | London| | Talent index (0–100) | 78 | 96| | Talent note | Deep mining, banking, and multinational African operations talent. Strong English-language professional base; multilingual workforce. Strong feed from Wits, UCT, and Stellenbosch. | Largest financial-services and technology talent pool in EMEA. Average all-in compensation indexes 96 vs. New York's 100.| ## Transit & commute **Johannesburg:** Gautrain rapid rail (Sandton, OR Tambo Airport, Pretoria); Metrorail (limited); BRT (Rea Vaya). Heavy car dependency. OR Tambo International Airport on Gautrain. **London:** The Elizabeth Line transformed cross-London commute times. Heathrow to Liverpool Street is 35 minutes; Paddington to Canary Wharf is 17 minutes. Crossrail-adjacent assets command a measurable rent premium. ## Top submarkets — Johannesburg - [**Sandton**](/cities/johannesburg/sandton) — trophy tier · R270/sqm/mo · ≈ $16.3 PSF/yr USD - [**Melrose Arch**](/cities/johannesburg/melrose-arch) — trophy tier · R250/sqm/mo · ≈ $15.1 PSF/yr USD - [**Rosebank**](/cities/johannesburg/rosebank) — trophy tier · R240/sqm/mo · ≈ $14.4 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — London - [**Mayfair & St James's**](/cities/london/mayfair-st-james) — trophy tier · £165/sqft/yr · ≈ $210 PSF/yr USD - [**City of London**](/cities/london/city-of-london) — trophy tier · £95/sqft/yr · ≈ $121 PSF/yr USD - [**Fitzrovia & Soho**](/cities/london/fitzrovia-soho) — prime tier · £110/sqft/yr · ≈ $140 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Johannesburg is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth London has the deeper talent index (96/100 vs 78/100). ### Pick by tax London has the lower headline corporate tax (25% vs 27%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Johannesburg typical term is 5 years with 6 months free; London runs 10 years with 24 months free. ### Pick by transit Johannesburg: Gautrain rapid rail (Sandton, OR Tambo Airport, Pretoria); Metrorail (limited); BRT (Rea Vaya). Heavy car dependency. OR Tambo International Airport on Gautrain. London: The Elizabeth Line transformed cross-London commute times. Heathrow to Liverpool Street is 35 minutes; Paddington to Canary Wharf is 17 minutes. Crossrail-adjacent assets command a measurable rent premium. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Johannesburg, London and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Johannesburg or London?**** : Johannesburg is cheaper on a USD basis: $13/sqft vs $121/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Johannesburg or London?**** : London indexes higher on talent depth (96 vs 78). ****Which has more sublease availability, Johannesburg or London?**** : Johannesburg carries higher vacancy (16.2% vs 8.6%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Johannesburg vs London?**** : Johannesburg typical term is 5 years with 6 months rent-free; London typical term is 10 years with 24 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Johannesburg: Gautrain rapid rail (Sandton, OR Tambo Airport, Pretoria); Metrorail (limited); BRT (Rea Vaya). Heavy car dependency. OR Tambo International Airport on Gautrain. London: The Elizabeth Line transformed cross-London commute times. Heathrow to Liverpool Street is 35 minutes; Paddington to Canary Wharf is 17 minutes. Crossrail-adjacent assets command a measurable rent premium. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Samuel Okafor**](/about/authors/samuel-okafor) — EMEA contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/johannesburg-vs-london), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.