The southern half of the road connects the light industry areas of City Deep and Rosherville with the M2 motorway while the northern half connects the eastern suburbs of Johannesburg with the northern suburbs.

The M33 starts as a junction with the M31 (Heidelberg Road) in the City Deep industrial area.

[1]: 109  Leaving Rosherville, it heads north over railway lines as Cleveland Road, passing through the industrial suburb of Heriotdale and reaching the Cleveland Road Interchange with the M2 motorway (Francois Oberholzer Freeway).

[1]: 110 Immediately after crossing the M2, Cleveland Road intercepts the R29 (Main Reef Road), crossing it as a horseshoe curve, before continuing northwards into the light industrial suburb of Cleveland, becoming 31st Street and meeting the M14 (Jules Street) in Malvern.

Continuing north, the M33 reaches its end by intersecting the R25 at Hathorn Avenue and Durham Street.