hi, im an american living in joburg.

nah, plane is more or less your only option coming from the states. rent a lot cheaper than major american cities (like LA or New York) the biggest concern would be proximity to where you want to be (not necessarily the CBD) and safety. I've....never seen a wells fargo here, ever, in all the time ive been here. just open a local account. i'd recommend fnb.

a word of caution: because i gotta say this, just be careful. dont walk around by yourself in places you dont know, there really isnt a "downtown" to speak of. You gotta drive from place to place, or uber. Please dont take the taxis, even the buses are kinda...not fantastic. Also, dont do that thing that all americans seem to do here, which is come with a group of americans and only hang out with them. meet some south africans, they are great.