Johannesburg | Johannesburg Attractions, Destinations and Places of Special Interest in Johannesburg, Gauteng in South Africa

Johannesburg Attractions

Johannesburg and Gauteng, South Africa

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Gauteng Tourism

JOHANNESBURG METRO

Johannesburg Attractions and Johannesburg Destinations: Johannesburg is an African city of note. It is characterised by contradiction and an apparent seamless combination of irreconcilable differences. The largest city in South Africa, Johannesburg is also the wealthiest and, without doubt, the economic powerhouse of Africa. It’s a booming, happening city and the emphasis is on making money - whether in business or on the streets - and has been since its beginnings when the world’s richest gold fields were discovered in Johannesburg during the 1880s.

To the first-time visitor Johannesburg, or Jozi as it’s more commonly known, can be a little daunting, more so because of the misrepresentation by the media of Johannesburg as something of a war zone. There is crime; you do need to keep your wits about you, but once bitten by the vibe of Jozi, you’re going to want to come back again.
JO-BURG DESTINATIONS / REGIONS
Soweto Randburg
Sandton East Rand
Midrand West Rand
JOHANNESBURG SUBURBS
Auckland Park Marshalltown
Bedfordview Melville
Braamfontein Northcliff
Craighall Park Observatory
Dunkeld West Parkview
Fairland Parktown North
Kensington Saxonwold
Parkwood Johannesburg CBD
Linden Westcliff
NOTABLE JO-BURG ATTRACTIONS
Nelson Mandela Bridge
Newtown Cultural Precinct
Johannesburg Botanic Garden
Emmarentia Dam
Cradle of Humankind | Gold Reef City
The Apartheid Museum | Constitution Hill
Johannesburg Art Gallery | Planetarium
Adler Museum of History of Medicine
Johannesburg Zoo | Zoo Lake
Johannesburg, South Africa
The Johannesburg inner city, abandoned by an exodus of big business that transferred to Sandton and, until recently, avoided by all except die-hard tourists, is undergoing a complete regeneration. The area close to City Hall and Newtown Cultural Precinct, which has completely transformed the Market Theatre and surrounds, now forms the heart of urban revival, and the Johannesburg inner city remains the largest employment centre in South Africa.

But it’s the sprawl of the leafy northern suburbs - there are over six million trees in Johannesburg - that draws the visitor: buzzing, trendy suburbs like Parktown and Norwood, with their restaurant-lined avenues that cater for the dining and décor set; the high street of Greenside that so easily dons the mantle of hip chic; fashionable Melville (forget venturing a little further to Yeoville - Jozi’s Greenwich Village it might have been but not any longer), and the sprawling malls of Sandton, all combine to make the city a great place to be.

Though not touted as an outdoor city, there are, nevertheless, a number of parks and nature reserves, like Emmarentia Dam and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, that are worth a visit. The Magaliesberg is just on your doorstep, and you’re extremely well placed for adventures a little further afield, like the Kruger National Park and the game parks of the Lowveld.
Gauteng Tourism

JOHANNESBURG DESTINATIONS

Soweto: South of Johannesburg is Soweto, a city developed as a township for black people under the apartheid system. Most of the struggle against apartheid was fought in and from Soweto. Visit the Regina Mundi Church, Sharpeville Memorial Site and past president Nelson Mandela’s home ... more » Soweto Info

Sandton: Sandton is a prosperous business, commercial and residential district, known as 'the richest square mile' in Africa, making is the financial hub of South Africa. Most major financial institutions have set up headquarters in Sandton and it is also the home to many big names in IT ... more » Sandton Info

Randburg: Randburg is a large town in Gauteng. Once a separate municipality, its municipal government has since become a part of the City of Johannesburg. Randburg has more than 32 suburbs, most of them residential. It is an upmarket suburb filled with many family friendly entertainment facilities ... more » Randburg Info

Midrand: Midrand is a located in the Johannesburg metropolis in Gauteng, South Africa. The name Halfway House is suitable as it is half way between The Rand (Witwatersrand) and Pretoria. Midrand is in Region 2 of Johannesburg's administrative region plan and completely built around the N1. It is ... more » Midrand Info

East Rand: The East Rand extends from Germiston in the west to Springs in the east and includes the towns of Alberton, Boksburg, Benoni, Kempton Park, Edenvale, and Bedfordview. As part of the restructuring of municipalities in South Africa the local governments of the East Rand have ... more » East Rand Info

West Rand: Extending from Randfontein in the west to Roodepoort in the east and including the towns of Krugersdorp and Magaliesberg, the West Rand may belong to a separate municipality, but it still remains within the Greater Johannesburg metropolitan area and it is not uncommon for people to ... more » West Rand Info

Auckland Park: Just north-west of Johannesburg’s CBD, Auckland Park lies on a gentle slope, the homes here gentrified and the neighbourhood a vibrant hum. The suburb is one of few this close to the centre of Johannesburg to survive the exodus of Jo’burgers to the northern suburbs and it’s no ... more » Auckland Park Info

Auckland Park: Other than Edenvale, the garden suburb of Bedfordview is one of the closest suburbs of Johannesburg to the OR Thambo Airport, so for business people dipping into the city only briefly is an ideal location. Aside from that, this part of Johannesburg, east of the city centre is a quiet and ... more » Bedfordview Info

Melville: The trendy suburb of Melville is situated just west of Johannesburg in South Africa and is well known for its trendy coffee shops and lively nightlife. Melville is a cultural hub of Johannesburg. Its trendy coffee houses and upscale shops dot this vibrant neighborhood. It is the perfect location ... more » Melville Info

Westcliff lies almost cheek-by-jowl with Parkview and Houghton and benefits from lying close to major arterial roads. You might be in one of the country’s most notoriously busy cities, but in Westcliff things slow to a more sedate pace. The Killarney Mall, mall of Rosebank and the lovely village of Parkhurst, with its ... more » Westcliff Info

The draft inner city charter is incredibly ambitious and in its scope it commits to some 77 deadlines that will turn Jo’burg central into a safe, flourishing and liveable city. Included in these plans are 5000 short-term accommodation units and 50 000 affordable flats. Plans for more visible policing as well as the  ... more » Johannesburg Central Info

Gauteng Tourism

JOHANNESBURG ATTRACTIONS

The Apartheid Museum: An extraordinarily powerful museum dedicated to South Africa’s darkest days. It documents the struggle for freedom, to ensure that younger South Africans don't forget the sacrifices which were made on their behalf. As you begin your historical journey by walking ... more » Apartheid Museum

CONSTITUTION HILL

Constitution Hill: The Constitutional Court of South Africa is Johannesburg’s newest historical landmark and a unique architectural symbol of South Africa’s democracy. On this site, once the Old Fort Prison Complex, commonly known as Number Four, political prisoners and common criminals ... more » Constitution Hill

The Hector *Pieterson Memorial and museum opened in Soweto in 2002, not far from the spot where 12 year-old Hector was shot on the 16 June 1976 during the Soweto uprising that today is a symbol of resistance to the brutality of the apartheid government. On 16 June on the day Hector was ... more » Hector Pieterson Memorial Site

The largest cable-stayed bridge in South Africa, the 284 metre long Nelson Mandela Bridge, starts virtually at the end of Jan Smuts Avenue and links the Constitutional Hill precinct in Braamfontein to the Cultural precinct in Newtown, in the heart of the city’s inner city renewal project ... more about » Nelson Mandela Bridge

NEWTOWN CULTURAL PRECINCT

Newtown: What makes Newtown so accessible is the Nelson Mandela Bridge, which links Braamfontein to Newton, is able to carry some 3000 cars an hour and forms the new gateway into the city from the north. Newtown is now a mixed-use area with a vibrant and unique character, particularly if you take its ... more » Newtown

SANDTON CITY Sandton Central
One of the main attractions in Sandton is Sandton City. This shopping centre is ranked among the largest shopping centres in Africa. Together with Nelson Mandela Square, the centre boasts over 144,000m² of shopping space making it the largest in the Southern Hemisphere! It is definitely any shoppers Mecca.
The Johannesburg Botanic Garden has some of the finest plant collections in the world that include indigenous trees and succulents, and its herb garden contains a surprising collection of traditional African medicinal herbs, culinary, medicinal and cosmetic herbs ... more » Johannesburg Botanic Garden
Emmarentia dam is certainly one of the city’s most tranquil spots and the setting amongst water and trees is attractive to many weekend visitors who picnic and braai on the grassed lawns. There are woodland and natural grass areas and a tea room that does first-rate scones. The main park of Emmarentia Dam ... more » Emmarentia Dam
Gold Reef City: A reconstruction of Johannesburg during the gold rush era, built around a gold mine. Attractions include a Victorian fun fair, miners' houses, a brewery, pubs, a hotel, restaurants and a stock exchange. You can watch molten gold being poured and take a trip down an old mine shaft. Tribal dancing ... more » Gold Reef City
JOHANNESBURG SHOPPING
Johannesburg Shopping: Johannesburg is any shoppers dream destination! There is something here for everyone. No matter what you looking for, you will always find it in a Johannesburg shopping mall. Johannesburg is well known for its superb shopping facilities and shopping is one thing  ... more » Johannesburg Shopping
JOHANNESBURG RESTAURANTS
Johannesburg Restaurants: SA-Venues.com present a select directory of Johannesburg Restaurants for your dining pleasure. Select from fine dining restaurants, trendy restaurants, family eateries and wine estates. Restaurants in Johannesburg offer the diner a wide range of food ... more » Johannesburg Restaurants

The Cradle of Humankind: Take a tour to the Cradle of Humankind, at Sterkfontein, Gauteng’s famous World Heritage Site – where caves have produced nearly half of the world’s hominid fossil discoveries. Close to the Cradle is the Kromdraai Wonder Cave, as well as the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve ... more » Cradle of Humankind

ART AFRIKA

62 Tyrone Ave, Parkview, Johannesburg. Art Africa holds a collection of ethnic arts, crafts and artefacts from around Africa. The shop is split into a front section that carries contemporary and recycled items from self-help groups in Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal. The back section has a selection of wooden games, statues and sculptures.

JOHANNESBURG PLANETARIUM

Situated in the grounds of the University of the Witwatersrand (entrance in Yale Road, alongside the M1). Seating for over 400 persons. Educational and entertaining programmes on different aspects of astronomy are held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Phone: + 27 (0)11 717-1392. Tickets are available at the planetarium.

ADLER MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE

The Museum contains interesting and invaluable collections depicting the history of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy through the ages. It is housed at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Medical School Campus in Parktown, Johannesburg. Visiting hours are: Monday to Friday, 09:30 to 16:00. Tel: +27 (0)11 717-2081.
SANDTON CONVENTION CENTRE Johannesburg Conferences
Sandton is home to one of the largest convention centres on the continent. The 12-storey building has more than 22 000 m² of meeting, exhibition and special-event space. Multiple events can be staged simultaneously on four levels and up to 10 000 delegates can be hosted at any one time. Capacities range up to 4 500 guests.

JOHANNESBURG ZOO

Close to the CBD and main freeways, the Johannesburg Zoological Gardens support more than 300 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, including rare, exotic species, mainly from other parts of Africa. Relaxation in a green environment, a safe and healthy family recreational venue to spend quality time in a relaxed way.

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Gold Reef City
Johannesburg (by day or night)
The Apartheid Museum
Magaliesberg Steam Train Trips
The Cradle of Humankind
Tswaing Meteorite Impact Crater
Premier Diamond Mine and Pretoria
Soweto
Cullinan Diamond Mine
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