Johannesburg’s unique historic attractions meld well with creative, art-packed neighbourhoods.
What’s Johannesburg all about?
Frenetic, edgy and ever-changing, Johannesburg is the heartbeat of not just South Africa, but southern Africa. It will not be winning beauty contests any time soon, and it’s a miracle than this old mining hodgepodge with no river grew so big, but it is now the place where South Africa’s many languages meet, and work alongside each other.
It is a city of stories, but it’s also a hive of creativity. This is best seen in districts like Braamfontein and the Maboneng Precinct, where formerly dicey inner city landscapes have exploded with highly individual new openings. Jo’Burg’s restless character is changing the city in interesting ways.
What to see in Johannesburg
Johannesburg isn’t exactly a walker’s paradise, so you’re better off getting between attractions by taxi or hop-on, hop-off bus.
Constitution Hill is an excellent first stop, and one of the main reasons to visit Johannesburg. It melds a dark past and bright future. A clutch of former prison cells are now kept as museums that pull no punches on the brutal treatment of former inmates – who include Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.
But it’s also home to South Africa’s Constitutional Court, which is where the principles Mandela and cohorts fought for are upheld, and is covered in a bonanza of artwork.
Further south is the Apartheid Museum, which is phenomenally dense, but continually thought-provoking on the Apartheid system and the efforts made to free the country from it. The part likely to stay with you longest is the big screen video presentation the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings, where families of victims tell their stories and perpetrators ask for forgiveness.
Exploring Soweto
What has happened to Soweto, the vast collection of townships to the south west of Johannesburg, in the last couple of decades is engrossing. The black middle classes have stayed rather than choosing to move to richer suburbs of Johannesburg, leading to significant gentrification in several areas.
Vilikazi Street – where Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu once lived – is now a strip of restaurants.
Lebo’s Backpackers runs excellent bike and tuk-tuk tours. These meet the locals, show off the memorials and give a good understanding of the various forces that make Soweto tick.
Days out from Johannesburg
Just west of Jo’Burg, the Cradle of Humankind is where some of the most important fossils in history have been found. The Maropeng visitor centre delves into the complex web of human ancestry and evolutionary history in a thoroughly engaging manner – which, bizarrely, includes a boat tour. Meanwhile the nearby Sterkfontein Caves – where the Australopithecus africanus skull that sparked so much research was found – are open for tours.
If you don’t have your own transport, tours with Johannesburg hotel pick-up head out to the Sterkfontein Caves and Maropeng.
For other tours and activities in Johannesburg, check out the wide selection offered by Viator.
Where to eat in Johannesburg
In Sandton, Nelson Mandela Square has a whole host of restaurants to choose from. Of these, Tasha’s is a good bet with lots of African ingredients such as ostrich and springbok. Save room for dessert, though – the malva putting with macerated apricot, custard and ice cream is so good you’ll be hankering after it every other South African restaurant you go to.
Downtown, the Maboneng Precinct has several appealing options, including Greek, Ethiopian, Japanese and Argentinian joints – stroll along and take whatever tickles your fancy at the time.
Shopping in Johannesburg
For mallrats, the best options are in the northern suburbs. The Sandton City Shopping Centre is a massive, sprawling beast, where the shops err towards mid-range chains, but there are some specialist jewellery and African art outlets too.
If it’s the latter you’re after, though the Rosebank Arts and Crafts Market does it better. It’s full of homemade trinketry, beading work, carvings and colourful handbags.
Where to stay in Johannesburg
The key decision is whether to stay relatively central or seal yourself off in the affluent northern suburbs where the malls and best hotels are.
The Maslow in Sandton balances business and pleasure, with plenty of sunbeds around the outdoor pool, and sleek contemporary rooms. The complimentary shuttle services to the nearby malls and Gautrain railway station are a handy bonus.
If staying centrally, the Parktonian All-Suite Hotel on the edge of student-heavy Braamfontein is a decent bet. Suite-style rooms are large if visually unexciting, and the rooftop terrace offers A Grade views out over the city.
More South Africa travel
Other South Africa travel stories on Planet Whitley include:
- Learning how South Africa’s history changed at Liliesleaf Farm.
- A self-drive safari in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park.
- The story of the world’s first heart transplant at Groote Schuur Hospital.
- Exploring the natural side of Cape Town.
- 7 reasons to visit Durban, South Africa.
- Why South Africans go to Durban for winter sun.
- The origins of Apartheid in Durban’s KwaMuhle Museium.
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