Johannesburg Overview

Johannesburg is South Africa's biggest city and the country's financial centre. This sprawling metropolis of three million people is the first sight that faces most visitors arriving in South Africa. With its combination of highly-sophisticated city living and third-world township life, it is probably an accurate reflection of a country that is in the throes of rapid development. Johannesburg is, without doubt, the most important city in the country and, based on its roots in the gold mining industry, is often referred to as the 'City of Gold'. more...

Johannesburg Activities

The Hector Pieterson Museum is dedicated to the first black scholar who was shot dead during the Soweto riots in 1976. It became one of the first museums in Soweto, which is Johannesburg largest township. The museum covers the events leading up to, and during, the anti-Afrikaans Soweto Uprising. A companion museum nearby is Mandela House, the former home of Nelson Mandela and his family, which has been run as a museum since 1997. more...

Johannesburg Events and Festivals

MPH - Live Motoring Theatre: Stunt-driving and live-action sequences come to Johannesburg's Coca-Cola Dome at the MPH - Live Motoring Theatre. Test-drive cars, browse motoring exhibits and relive popular elements from a popular TV programme, Top Gear. more...

Johannesburg Sightseeing

Take a tour of the massive residential area of Soweto, which was the main residential area of the city's black population during the Apartheid era. Housing ranges from the most basic accommodation to a few very luxurious homes. Your tour should take you past the Hector Peterson Museum, as well as the Mandela house. You are likely to visit a shebeen, a traditional bar/restaurant, where the local residents love to gather. Do not attempt to visit the area alone, it is safer as part of an organized tour. more...

Johannesburg Transport

Most international connections fly directly into the recently enlarged OR Tambo International Airport. If you’re looking for information on the city, the Gauteng Tourism Authority has a branch in the International Arrivals Hall. Currency exchange booths are open 24 hours and ATMs are also available. The airport is also used for domestic flights. Although South African Airways is the national airline, there are plenty of other options on most domestic routes. more...

Johannesburg Travel Tips

In general, South Africans share many mannerisms and etiquettes with the British. Greetings are usually in the form of a handshake and first names are almost always used. When passing through a doorway, it is customary for African men to precede the women and hold the door open. You should be aware that it is impolite to point at someone with your index finger or hold a conversation with your hands in your pockets. Note that the 'V' or 'peace sign' symbol made with the middle and index fingers and shown with the palm facing backwards is considered a rude gesture. more...