Johannesburg Travel Guide

Explore the REAL Johannesburg

JOHANNESBURG . . . AFRICA’S MOST VISITED CITY

Johannesburg, Africa’s most visited city, is a bustling metropolis that combines its African roots with a cosmopolitan character.

It holds the ‘unofficial’ titles of being South Africa’s most African, and the continent’s most cosmopolitan, city.

And what about . . . . . Johannesburg, Second Greatest City after Paris*?
It’s true, but I’ll talk about that later!

But why Jo’burg?
– It’s a metropolis built on the world’s largest gold deposit, but designed to be no more than a temporary mining camp!
– Despite its vast development spanning hundreds of kilometers, Johannesburg still boasts beautiful open spaces
– It has a buzzing night life and some great restaurants.
– The people are friendly and warm, and at an altitude of 1700m, matched by its perfect weather!
– It’s the world’s largest city not on a waterway, despite 12 river systems that flow through it – but no more than streams.

So . . . no distinguishing natural icons to explore, but Johannesburg offers an array of cultural and urban experiences that make it an exciting destination to visit.

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 . . . 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.

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!