Another way of finding your way around is city route numbers.
In South Africa most major routes in metropolitan areas have "M" numbers (metro route numbers). I once managed to navigate across Johannesburg using these alone.
Unfortunately, in Johannesburg at least, they are not widely noticed by the public, except on freeways, and increasingly not replaced when they are vandalised or stolen, but they are very useful if you know about them, both for finding alternate routes, and for orienting yourself when lost.
They are usually consistently numbered. In Greater Johannesburg, even numbers go east-west, while odd numbers go north-south, and the signs also include a compass direction. In Durban, where there has been a huge number of street renamings, they have become indespensible for me when I visit the city.
EDIT: As an aside, if you ever drive in South Africa, do not rely on Google Maps (which has numerous errors). Rather buy an up-to-date map book or GPS. The map books by Map Studio are quite good.
In South Africa most major routes in metropolitan areas have "M" numbers (metro route numbers). I once managed to navigate across Johannesburg using these alone. Unfortunately, in Johannesburg at least, they are not widely noticed by the public, except on freeways, and increasingly not replaced when they are vandalised or stolen, but they are very useful if you know about them, both for finding alternate routes, and for orienting yourself when lost.
They are usually consistently numbered. In Greater Johannesburg, even numbers go east-west, while odd numbers go north-south, and the signs also include a compass direction. In Durban, where there has been a huge number of street renamings, they have become indespensible for me when I visit the city.
EDIT: As an aside, if you ever drive in South Africa, do not rely on Google Maps (which has numerous errors). Rather buy an up-to-date map book or GPS. The map books by Map Studio are quite good.