About Johannesburg

Johannesburg or Jo’burg, as the locals call the city of the gold, is the biggest metropolis in South Africa. With its 3,2 million citizens (sensus in 2001) the city on the Witwatersrand is the predominant commercial centre and the economic motor of the Republic of South Africa. One fifth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product is being produced in Johannesburg. More than half of its population live in the suburbs of Soweto, Diepkloof and Orange Farm south-west of the city.

Johannesburg is the centre of the Gauteng Province, a densely populated Mega-Metropolis with numerous satellite towns as well as the South African capital of Pretoria. The population of Gauteng exceeds 8 million people by now.

Johannesburg’s economical backbone still is the gold industry. Only a few of the initial mining oprations in Johannesburg are still active in the city area, but the former mines and the mine dumps had a lasting impact on the appearance of the urban landscape and the industrial structure.

All mining companies and the big banking and investment institutions have their headquarters in Johannesburg. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange, founded in 1887, is the centre of the capital markets for he whole of southern Africa There are only few South African companies which are not represented in Johannesburg.

Johannesburg is also the first address for international tourism. Most of the major airlines call at Johannesburg International Airport in the southeast of the city and most travel agencies and tour operators choose Johannesburg as the starting point for journeys through the country. The lively metropolis offers a wide spectrum of culture, combining European and African components.

Online travel guides for Johannesburg you can consult are South Africa Travel or Lonely Planet. You can also go to South African Tourism as it is a good source of visitors’ information for South Africa in general.

Some of the things to see and do in Johannesburg…

Gold Reef City

This entertainment complex is essentially a theme park full of thrill rides, but was designed to be a re-creation of Victorian Johannesburg during the gold-rush era. The park, four miles (6km) south of the city centre via the M1 motorway, was built around the No.14 Crown mineshaft that began operations in 1887 and closed in 1975. During its production years 1,400 tons of gold came out of the shaft. Visitors can now descend into the old mine shaft to experience life at the rock face, and watch gold being poured and minted. Gold Reef City also houses a number of museums, and offers performances by traditional gumboot dancers. Youngsters particularly enjoy the rides like the Anaconda roller coaster and Thunder Mountain River Rapids. There are also plenty of restaurants, bars, a massive casino, and a Victorian hotel for those wanting to stay the night. Gold Reef City Theme park has an abundance of adventures rides, restaurants, history, site seeing and tours for you to enjoy.

• Over 30 thrill rides
• Jozi’s story of Gold (Heritage Tour)
• Restaurants
• Amusement Attractions
• Tribal Dancers
• Kiddies Corner
• Farmyard

Newtown Cultural Precinct

This complex of buildings in the city centre has been upgraded and restored as part of the city fathers’ urban renewal policy and provides several attractions. The Market Theatre and Museum Africa, for instance are housed in a Victorian building in Bree Street that was originally Johannesburg’s fresh produce market. The Museum Africa is particularly worth a visit with its exhibits that tell the story of the city from its beginnings to the present day, including an interesting section about the Treason Trial of the 1950s in which Nelson Mandela and other activists were accused of plotting against the state. The same building houses a photography museum and the Museum of South African Rock Art. At its eastern end is the Market Theatre, famed for being the venue for many protest theatre productions in the Apartheid era. Also in the area, in President Street, is the South African Breweries Centre, which offers a tour detailing brewing history through some reconstructed gold-rush pubs and shebeens (township bars). Along Jeppe Street is the Oriental Plaza, the commercial centre for the Indian community.

The Johannesburg Zoo (lake pictured at top of page)

The Johannesburg Zoo, is a favourite place for locals to take a stroll among the numerous enclosures that house more than 3,000 species of animal, including polar bears that can be viewed underwater in their pool. Of course the Big Five are all in residence too. A tractor-tram does circuits of the zoo for those who don’t fancy walking. On the eastern edge of the zoo is the Museum of Military History, which has some interesting exhibits like tanks, fighter aircraft and submarines.