Johannesburg was originally built on the discovery of gold, but with time it became a vibrant city with a population of around 11 million people in the Greater Johannesburg area.
The city, originally called Jo’burg, Egoli (“City of Gold“), or Jozi, as it is affectionately known by Jo’burgers, is the commercial heart of South Africa.
Historically it is where money is made and fortunes found but it has been stereotyped as a harsh, concrete jungle, troubled by crime. Its residents defend it insistently saying it is a city of opportunity and positive energy, the capital of “Can Do!”
Museums and art galleries
The specialty museums in Johannesburg are massively popular with tourists and locals alike. You will find many school children and family tourists walking around those museums to explore the history and culture of Johannesburg.
The Apartheid Museum is popular with tourists who can learn a lot about township life. The museum tells a story of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and oppression. The museum has been abstracted by a team of curators, filmmakers, historians and designers.
The Peacemaker Museum honors the memories of previous and current Nobel Peace Prize winners and their contribution to society. The Origins Center showcases the scientific and theoretical heritages of mankind.
The Hector Pieterson memorial and museum is a very important landmark commemorating the Soweto uprising in 1976.
The Johannesburg Art Gallery is located in Joubert Park, one of the first parks in the middle city. The gallery’s goal is to contribute to the escalation of visual culture in a multicultural society.
The gallery collects historical work, protects them, showcases permanent and temporary exhibitions and educates people about art and history. It also preserves and provides access to the African national heritage, giving due recognition to South Africa’s neglected artists through its exhibitions, publications and education programs.
The Museum Africa focuses on the geology, anthropology, archaeology and history of Southern Africa from the Stone Age up until today.
You will love “The Road to Democracy” exhibition that provides an overview of the social and political upheavals of the early 1990s. Tried for Treason exhibition tells the story of the 1950s’ Treason Trial and its accused. You cannot miss the exhibition of the life of Mahatma Gandhi that focuses on his life in Johannesburg.
The Nelson Mandela Museum is the biggest attraction in Gauteng. The house has been preserved in the same state it was when the Mandelas lived in it in the 1960s.
Outdoor sightseeing
The famous Nelson Mandela Bridge is a must see. It connects the Central Business District to the Newtown Cultural Precinct, which houses all the museums and art galleries.
The city is filled with public artworks that can be found all along the streets, between tall buildings, parks and on the sidewalks.
The Emmarentia Dam is another must see. Many activities are offered such as kayaking, boating or canoeing. Johannesburg Botanical Gardens offers a collection of over a 1,000 plant varieties. Due to its natural and scenic beauty, the gardens are one of the most photographed places in the city. Another great outdoor pursuit is trekking the Wonder Caves, which form part of the Humankind World Heritage Sites and where many fossils have been found.
No trip to Johannesburg is complete without a visit to a town and Soweto in the Southwest of the city is the largest.
You should enjoy picnics at Zoo Lake, a park filled with oak and sycamore trees, or go on a tour of Soweto, which is the district with the largest population in the city. These 54 acres of lush gardens hold a wide variety of wildlife that will for sure entertain you and your family. It will be a great opportunity to see real African animals just like you imagined safaris would be like.
The historic Gold Reef City is built around an authentic gold mine and combines historical attractions with thrilling rides.
Johannesburg is young at heart and offers exciting wild rides in the southern hemisphere, those who would rather do something less chaotic can explore the Story of Gold in an old-world museum atmosphere. Underground tours of the mine are also available.
Mary Fitzgerald Square is named after South Africa’s first female trade unionist; this square is the best place to start a visit to central Jo’burg. As well as being the staging ground for a number of annual events it is also a good place to people-watch at one of the area’s cafes.
The square is lined with an array of heads, carved from old railway sleepers by Newtown artists, and is bordered by the Jazz Walk of Fame, a Hollywood Boulevard-style walkway that pays tribute to South Africa’s most influential jazz musicians. There’s also a bronze sculpture honoring Brenda Fassie, one of the country’s most popular musicians, who died in 2004.
Shopping
Johannesburg is a great city for shopping with a huge variety of malls to explore. The malls in Sandton are well-known for high-end designer outfits and clothes in general whereas The African Craft Market in Rosebank showcases ornaments, masks, and fabrics from across Africa, ranging from the cheap and cheerful to one-off collector’s items.
Food
The city is influenced by many different cultures. In one shopping center or commercial street you will find a huge variety of cuisines, whatever you are wishing to eat from pastas, pizzas, seafood, Turkish, steaks, burgers to Chinese, Lebanese, Thai and Japanese.
Johannesburg is known for home cooked meals. Even their local restaurants serve homemade meals. One of the famous dishes is the Braaivleis, which is BBQ meat cooked over coals from burnt firewood and not charcoal, this includes chops, steak, sosatie, braaiwors (sausage) and chicken.
Another one is Potjiekos, which means pot food. It is usually made in a black pot and cooked over coals. This is almost like a stew made with meat and vegetables in a pot. It is usually served with a side of rice.
Biltong and Droewors are traditionally eaten while watching rugby. The name means dry sausage. It comprises meat — springbok or even ostrich that is salted and dried.
Bobotie is made with egg and has a mince base and can include raisins. It is almost a sweet curry.
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