Customers queue on the pavement outside Pehlwan's Chicken House in Fordsburg
The Hillbrow skyline with Ponte on the left and the Hillbrow Tower on the right
Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa, a traditional healer, cultural historian, author, painter, sculptor and mystic prophet, sculpted King Khandakulu and the gods at the KwaKhaya LeNdaba living museum in Soweto.
A herd of elephants passes a guided, open safari vehicle at Pilanesberg National Park, a Big 5 Park, just 2 hours from Johannesburg
The tress of Johannesburg, looking north from Munro Drive
Kids in Soweto using the wire sculpture titled "Student Confrontation" by artist Stone Mabunda as a jungle gym
Una Salus Victis Nullam Sperare Salutem"
The Johannesburg syline at sunset, showing the Hillbrow Tower in centre, and Ponte at right.
Street art of Neslon Mandela on a house in Alexandra Township, the place that he first lived, after moving to Johannesburg as a youngster.
Lesedi Cultural Village near Johannesburg, displays the cultural traditions of 5 Tribes of South Africa

Discover Johannesburg with
whyJoburg.com

Explore Africa’s Most Visited City

Welcome to Johannesburg, a city where South Africa’s rich history mingles with its cosmopolitan present.
Known as Jo’burg, Jozi, or Egoli – the City of Gold, this urban powerhouse is more than just a gateway—it’s a destination that pulses with energy, culture and stories waiting to be told.

Pilanesberg National Park near Johannesburg

TOURS and TRANSFERS

TOURS and TRANSFERS

Johannesburg is the wildlife hub for all of southern Africa.

Pilanesberg National Park, a fantastic Big 5 park, is only 3 hours by road from Johannesburg, and the iconic Kruger National Park – a little further!

Accommodation in Johannesburg

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation options in Johannesburg cater to every need, from Backpackers to Boutique and Luxury to Lodge.

Guest House, Bed and Breakfast or Self-Catering ensure a stay tailored to your needs.

Soweto street art of Nelson Mandela

SOWETO

A very familiar name, but sadly for all the wrong reasons!

SOuth WEstern TOwnships is today one of Johannesburg’s top tourist attractions.

JOHANNESBURG . . . A CEREBRAL CITY

Johannesburg is a vibrant city, a fun city . . . but also a cerebral city that invites exploration into its rich history.

Despite being declared a city in 1928, it holds decades of significant milestones since its “founding” in 1886.

The surrounding area, along with East Africa, boasts the world’s longest recorded human activity.
From the early Australopithecus africanus (discovered in 1947) to Australopithecus sediba (2008) and Homo naledi, discovered in 2013.

From Homo sapiens sapiens to Early Stone Age hunter-gatherers and Iron Age settlements, Johannesburg has witnessed it all, earning its place as a historical marvel.

Its pivotal role in the struggle against Apartheid further adds to its cultural tapestry, with events like Mohandas Gandhi’s first act of Satyagraha, the Freedom Charter, the Women’s March, the Treason Trial, the Sharpeville massacre, the Rivonia Trial and in 1976, the Soweto Uprising.

This unyielding history has given rise to an array of fantastic museums and monuments, a treasure trove awaiting exploration.

Johannesburg restaurants Cucina di Ciro

RESTAURANTS

Eating out has become an essential, and typical, part of living in Johannesburg

Restaurants, along with home entertaining, have become the social nuclei of the city.

Apartheid Museum sign in Johannesburg

PLACES TO SEE

Johannesburg is a cerebral city and has a number of very interesting, and relevant, world-class museums and attractions!

Pilanesberg National Park near Johannesburg

WILDLIFE

Johannesburg is the wildlife hub for all of southern Africa.

Pilanesberg National Park, a fantastic Big 5 park, is only 3 hours by road from Johannesburg.

JOHANNESBURG . . . MELTING POT OF BOTH HISTORY AND CULTURE

Johannesburg is not the bland nightmare that uninformed opinions in distant lands might try to, or might well have, convinced you of.

Those innumerable critics, some of whom I’m sure have never set foot here, and others who live here, but all consider themselves experts on ‘how little the city has to offer’.
Or ‘how dangerous a city it is’!
Unfortunately it’s partly true.
There are unacceptable levels of crime in some areas.

Visitors often remark on the warmth and friendliness they encounter from the people who truly define the essence of Johannesburg.
That is because people is all we have, and in a nutshell, the city has nothing to offer but itself!

Johannesburg is a treasure trove, where the past and present collide, offering you a taste of Africa like no other.
Over the past century, this African powerhouse has grown into Africa’s only World City.

So, are you tempted?
You should be!

Welcome to the Johannesburg Travel Guide On Where To GO And What To See.

Gautrain high speed train in Johannesburg

GETTING AROUND

Gautrain is a world class high speed train with a limited route

A car in Johannesburg is essential – be it a metered taxi, your own or a service like Uber.

Fast facts about Johannesburg

FAST FACTS

Where to find what you need in Johannesburg – from 24 hour pharmacies and ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) to Vaccinations and Visas.

OR Tambo International Airport logo homepage link

AIRPORTS

All overseas flights arrive at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.

It is Africa’s biggest and busiest airport, and 25km east of Johannesburg.

Start with these attractions to get a better understanding
of what made Jo’burg the city it is!

WELCOME TO JOHANNESBURG

I’ll be adding to this website on an ongoing basis, and intend including everything from Jozi’s distant past of ancient history up to what’s happening here this week.

Welcome to my home – Johannesburg, Jo’burg, Jozi, Egoli, Joni or Joeys!

Whilst every attempt will be made to keep the information on this website relevant and up to date, we accept no responsibility for consequences arising from errors or omissions.
* William Kentridge, the internationally acclaimed artist – born and bred in the city, produced his first animated Movie, “Johannesburg, 2nd Greatest City After Paris”, in 1989, as part of a series called ‘Drawings for Projection’.