Johannesburg

Johannesburg, South Africa

Vibrant, ever-changing, multi-faceted Johannesburg flings contrast at you from every angle. Trees line streets where houses hide their manicured gardens and pristine blue swimming pools behind high white walls, miles of shacks tell of the effects of the apartheid years – still to be overcome. The air of Africa’s most dynamic city vibrates with music and buzzes with business while its stylish restaurants, elegant shops, art galleries, and theatres delight the international visitor.

Population:

4,949,346

Currency:

1 Rand (ZAR) = 100 cents

Emergency Numbers:

Jo’burg Connect
+27 11 375 5911 (Accidents, Fire, Medical, Crime)
10111 Police
10177 Ambulance

Opening Hours:

Mall shopping hours are generally 09.00am-05.00pm from Monday to Saturday, and 09.00am-02.00pm on Sundays. Most museums and galleries are closed on Mondays.

Newspapers:

The Star (Johannesburg’s oldest English-language daily newspaper, has a Tonight listings supplement.)
The weekly (Friday) Mail & Guardian has extensive What’s On listings.)
The Sowetan
City Press
Business Day

The City

Cosmopolitan Johannesburg (also known as Jo’burg or Jozi) sprawls for miles, sprouting upper-income suburbs like satellite towns – one of them, sophisticated Sandton, is the business and economic capital of South Africa. Soweto, home to most of Johannesburg’s black population, lies to the southwest, a 20 square km conglomeration of townships with homes that range from millionaire mansions and neat middle-income housing to the tin shacks of squatter camps.

The city built on gold has seen its landmark yellow mine dumps recycled and replaced by skyrise buildings and glitzy shopping malls, and its recent apartheid history remembered in superb new museums. Soaring chrome and glass buildings, housing opulent international hotels and corporate giants, pepper the leafy streets of a string of exclusive northern suburbs – among them, rich Rosebank, elite Sandhurst, bohemian Melrose Village and foody Greenside. Across a canopy of green, the horizon is spiked by the outline of downtown Johannesburg, slowly stirring from its no-go dilapidation. Six-lane highways and swirling freeways indicate the importance of the car.

Do & See

The city built on gold has seen its yellow mine dumps recycled, and replaced by towering skyscrapers and glitzy shopping malls. The history of the not too distant apartheid history is remembered in superb new museums.

Dining

This cosmopolitan city will spoil you for choice: Greek, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Argentinean, just to name a few. South Africans are great meat-eaters, so steak houses abound. Greenside is packed with smart restaurants, but all the northern suburbs have their stars. Melville, Parktown North, Melrose Arch, and trendy Parkhurst are particularly good locations.

Here's a list of the top restaurants in Johannesburg:

Cafes

Joburg's coffee culture is booming, with hip cafes (some with on-site stores and even book shops) and casual eateries aplenty. Having brunch is in, so finding a suitable venue in your neighbourhood shouldn't be hard.

Here are some of the best cafes in Johannesburg: