Cultural interested visitors find enjoyment while visiting the Apartheid Museum or the Art Gallery. The Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens are the perfect spot for picnics or relaxation. Up-market suburbs like Sandton offer exclusive restaurants, vibrant nightlife and huge shopping malls.
Johannesburg, the capital city of Gauteng, South Africa or "This Place of Gold" in the Sotho language harbours the gold fields of South Africa. "Jozi" is now the powerhouse of Africa and one of the largest industrial regions in the Southern Hemisphere. What started with a stone bearing traces of gold found by an unemployed miner in 1886 escalated beyond belief to the discovery of the world's richest natural treasure trove - a small event which led to the creation of a city of industry and wealth.
Gold fever set in and pople flocked here from far and wide, changing the pastoral landscape seemingly overnight. Vast shantytowns rose up and later formed into a modern city, a concrete jungle that became the Gold Capital of the World. Johannesburg was the centre of an economic boom which swept the country.
Johannesburg is a city for the movers and shakers, a hip and happening Gauteng city, money-making is the central drive and ambition from the street corner to big business. It is not essentially marketed as an outdoor city but there are areas set aside for this and recreation with rural places and leisure resorts where the city dwellers can relax.
In the recent past the city centre has been abandoned by big business which moved to the up-market suburb of Sandton. Tourists have really steered clear of the city centre as it has been unsafe for sometime - however, big changes are taking place and the inner city is now undergoing regeneration.
As with any large city, tourists should always keep their wits about them and follow advice on where to go - the Johannesburg "vibe" is infectious and fast paced and there is always something on the go.
The urban sprawl of Jozi is characterised by a great many trees, there are interesting suburbs in the northern areas where visitors can find trendy restaurants, clubs, shopping and lifestyle stores. Suburbs like Parktown and Norwood and the main street of Greenside.
Melville is now the place to be seen and of course Sandton. Auckland Park is one of the most enduring suburbs close to the city and has retained a genteel atmosphere with grand homes and great architecture.
Outdoor leisure time can be found at Emmarentia Dam - a beautiful park for summer concerts, family outings, picnics and fun with the dogs; the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens: and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. The Magaliesberg is not far from the city and a popular place for weekend getaways with lovely scenery and rolling hills.
Attractions in and Around Johannesburg
- The Apartheid Museum
- Nelson Mandela Bridge
- Constitution Hill; Gold Reef City
- Soweto; Newtown Cultural precinct
- Sandton City
- SAB World of Beer
- Planetarium
- Johannesburg Art Gallery
- Johannesburg Zoo
- Zoo Lake
- Adler Museum of History of Medicine
- SA Museum of Military History
- Vaal River and dam.
