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JOHANNESBURG METRO
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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. |
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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. |
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JOHANNESBURG DESTINATIONS
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  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
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 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
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 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 |
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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JOHANNESBURG ATTRACTIONS
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 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
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CONSTITUTION HILL |
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 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
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 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
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 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 |
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NEWTOWN CULTURAL PRECINCT |
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 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
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 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. |
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 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 |
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 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 |
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 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 |
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 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 |
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 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 |
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 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
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ART AFRIKA |
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 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. |
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JOHANNESBURG
PLANETARIUM |
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 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. |
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ADLER
MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE |
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 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. |
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 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. |
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JOHANNESBURG ZOO |
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 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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« South
Africa Attractions | South Africa Game
Reserves » |
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