Overview

Johannesburg, affectionately called Jo’burg, Jozi, and E’Goli is known as the ‘City of Gold’ and is the second largest city in South Africa with a deep history of gold mining and rich cultural heritage. The city is famous as a gateway to some of the country’s best Safari opportunities and as the former home of Nelson Mandela who famously fought for the freedom of his country. The vibrant city is rapidly evolving, it is a hub for arts and culture with contemporary galleries, funky restaurants, charming cafes, and colorful art studios among the city’s top attractions. 

The city is filled with fascinating museums, excellent shopping destinations, fantastic restaurants, and a lively nightlife scene. There are endless opportunities for outdoor activities and adventures with hidden caves and scenic nature reserves, there is also plenty of wildlife to see at the Johannesburg Zoo, and Montecasino Bird Gardens. Jo’burg is an attractive cultural melting pot with unique neighborhoods, the city is said to be the largest urban forest in the world with over 10 million trees dotted around its parks and open spaces. 

Things to see and do

Take a leisurely stroll around Nelson Mandela Square, where you will find a wide selection of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Take a picture next to the famous 20 ft bronze statue of the country`s beloved late president `Madiba` Nelson Mandela, which stands in the center of the square. 

Take a tour of the city onboard The Red City Tour, which offers a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of the city and its biggest sights, including Constitution Hill, the Apartheid Museum, and the Carlton Center. There are 11 stops total on the tour and the bus departs every hour beginning at 10 am.

Visit Delta Park, the largest green space in the city, covering 257 acres of land, covered with green lawns, and woods, and boasting three dams that have walking trails and bird-watching sites around them. Check out the Florence Bloom Bird Sanctuary and the Delta Environmental Center found within the park.

Spend an afternoon at the beautiful Johannesburg Botanical Gardens that sit on the shores of the Emmarentia Dam. These spectacular gardens and tranquil dam cover 308 acres of land, with a variety of different gardens including roses and succulents. There are walking and cycling trails around the dam, as well as canoes and rowboats, to float on the waters. 

Check out The Lindfield Victorian House Museum, a living museum run by Katharine Love, who oversees the day-to-day running of this fascinating museum. The Victorian-style home is so well preserved it has received many awards and accolades, built in 1910, Love purchased the house in 1967. 

Visit The South African National War Museum, which opened in 1947, and preserves South Africa`s history and involvement in WWI, WWII, and the Civil War. The museum features a large collection of over 44,000 items and artifacts including rare vehicles used in the War.

Head up Constitution Hill, one of the most important historical sites found in the city. The hill is the former site of a fort that was later used as a prison and now consists of the Old Fort, the Number Four Jail, the Woman`s Jail, and the Awaiting Trial Block which has been replaced by the Constitutional Court of South Africa. 

Check out JAG/The Johannesburg Art Gallery, this impressive museum houses one of the largest collections of art in Africa. Masterpieces on display here include works by Picasso, Monet, Dali, and Warhol, spread throughout 15 different exhibition halls. 

Visit the world-famous Apartheid Museum, which illustrates the rise and fall of the country`s era of segregation and oppression, chronicling the rise and fall of the Apartheid using film footage and interactive displays. The museum can be quite graphic, yet very informative with photographs, artifacts, and newspaper clippings.

Gold Reef City is a theme park that contains a gold mining museum, where you can learn about the city`s gold mining past. Try out over 30 different rides and roller coasters or try your luck at the famous Gold Reef City Casino, with slot machines, tables, and sports betting.

Visit the Johannesburg Planetarium which is the first full-sized planetarium in the country and hosts 70,000 visitors a year. There are displays, tours, and workshops offered and many school children come here to learn about their star signs and the movement of the moon.

Spend a day at the Johannesburg Zoo which covers 140 acres of land housing over 2,000 animals of 320 species, including the rare white and Siberian Tigers, which have both successfully been bred at the zoo. `Twist` is a large male Siberian Tiger that weighs 705 lbs, the father of all of the Siberian Tigers found in South Africa.

Shopping

Shopping in Johannesburg consists of many shopping malls found all over the city, trendy boutiques along tree-lined boulevards, and vibrant bustling markets, all of which are guaranteed to offer visitors what they are looking for. The popular Market Theatre complex boasts a large flea market every Saturday in the city and many surrounding sights such as the Museum Africa, four live theatres, bookstores, and galleries. Weekly markets can be found dotted all over Jo`burg where shoppers will find fresh produce, street food, arts, crafts, and souvenirs in a fun vibrant atmosphere.

The Rosebank flea market takes place every Sunday filled with local arts and crafts where you can pick up that unique piece of African Art. Stroll and shop in Maboneng where boutiques line the streets and great markets filled with everything. You will find local vendors selling goods at the side of the road, especially at traffic lights in the city where motorists can purchase food, umbrellas, cell phone accessories, and much more. In the malls in Jo`burg shoppers will find the usual chain stores and a food court with the usual suspects along with movie theatres and many have a large supermarket found on the basement floor.

Dining

Johannesburg is a melting pot of cuisines for foodies offering a wide variety of restaurants and menus to suit all taste buds. Some of the hip areas to check out for delicious food are Melville, Greenside, Braamfontein, Parkhurst, Rosebank, Norwood, and Maboneng. In Melville, visitors will find one of the city`s hippest dining districts where a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, and bars run along 7th Street and 4th Avenue offering ala carte dining. Maboneng is another happening hotspot for food with new restaurants popping up all over the neighborhood, cafes, bars, and great nightlife. Rosebank has a huge cluster of eateries along Keyes Art Mile and all around Keyes Avenue.

Braii or Shisa Nyama (BBQ) is found in numerous locations all over the city, whereas Braai spots can be found in Maboneng where sausage, chicken, and lamb are served with `Chakalaka` which is a spicy vegetable soup.

Tripe is another traditional meal enjoyed by South Africans, considered a delicacy with lightly curried mean with small new potatoes and fried onions.

Some common Cape Malay dishes that you might see on the local menus include:

`bobotie` is lightly curried minced beef or lamb topped with a savory egg custard sauce served over turmeric flavor rice with chutney on the side.

`bredies` are stews made from meat or fish with vegetables.

`Dhaltjies' (chili bites) are deep-fried balls of chickpea flour batter mixed with potato, coriander, and spinach.

`samosas` are triangle-shaped pockets of crispy, fried pastry with a spicy vegetable filling.

`Malva` is a pudding made of sponge with apricot jam and brandy.

`koeksuster` are doughnuts dipped in syrup.

Nightlife

Johannesburg is a sprawling city with a happening nightlife; the city follows closely behind NYC as a city that never sleeps. Visitors will find amazing nightlife here with historic pubs, nightclubs, upscale bars, live music, and theatre spread all over the city. The nightlife scene here is abundant with plenty of variety spread throughout bustling neighborhoods such as Rosebank, Melville, Rivonia, Soweto, and Norwood. Visit Mandela Square in the evening time for a great atmosphere with outdoor dining, wine bars, and live entertainment. Theatres in the city are a big draw with four theatres found in the Market Theatre complex and the Montecasino Theatre where several eateries, shops, and a casino are located. Live music, especially jazz can be found at chic jazz clubs and bars all over the city.