Why do people go to johannesburg

Similar to Cape Town but on a smaller scale, Joburg has a thriving coffee culture. But it was Craft Coffee , a local South African roastery, that truly wowed us with its commitment to beans from the farm all the way to the cup. Craft Coffee has all of the bells and whistles that are typical in specialty coffee shops around the world, but it also has a true sense of place. Instead of shying away from its storied past, Joburg shines a light on it.

The result is both highly educational and utterly fascinating. More importantly, this attention on history will hopefully keep the past from repeating itself. We toured dilapidated cells where we saw remnants of the inhumane conditions that political prisoners like Nelson Mandela experienced during their incarcerations. Food was rationed to prisoners based on skin color. Conditions in the prison were so crowded that inmates were forced to sleep on top of each other. Solitary cells were so confining that prisoners could never fully stretch their bodies from end to end.

Cells would flood with unsanitary wastewater. You could spend your days in museums learning about Johannesburg. We felt the soul as we drove and walked through the city streets but mostly when we spoke to the friendly locals. Pro Tip Although walking around Johannesburg is as safe as walking in any other big city during the day, you should take Uber to get around at night.

The global car service is a popular, inexpensive transportation option in South Africa. We were struck by the rampant gentrification in Johannesburg. Loft buildings are popping up next to shacks. Joburg residents are proud of this development — and who can blame them for enjoying a better quality of life.

Colorful street art fills the city streets, painted on buildings and street barricades. Instead, use your time to explore and enjoy the city. Our reward was a fun, educational three-day adventure. We left Johannesburg smarter than when we arrived, inspired by what we had experienced and hopeful for a return visit sooner than later. We also got the opportunity to experience a real day-to-day piece of modern South Africa — a worthy bookend to our monumental trip before we departed the country for our next adventure.

Have we convinced you to visit Johannesburg during your South Africa dream vacation? We stayed at an apartment for one night and at Clico Boutique Hotel for two nights.

Both are good bases for Johannesburg sightseeing visits. Check out our articles about our stay at Clico Boutique Hotel and our day trip to Soweto. The married Food and Travel content creators live in Lisbon, Portugal. Sponsorship We thank Joburg Tourism for hosting us to facilitate this article.

Article Updates We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article. I will always say this and repeat it again, your Trip or holiday to South Africa will never be complete if you miss to visit "Jozi". I am Willy Kalala, the storyteller, you just need an expert guide to make you enjoy , explore and discover the city.

Thank Darry. You're so welcome Willy! It was our pleasure to be guided so expertly around Joburg. We hope you and your family are doing great. Unlike in many big cities around the world, graffiti is actually legal here, so local and international artists have graced many a wall with countless simple tags, elaborate spray-painted murals and brilliant street art.

You just need to walk around Maboneng to see some fine examples, but Jo from Past Experiences can give you unrivalled insight into the subculture that is graffiti in Johannesburg. Joburgers will proudly tell you how clean their tap water is, so ditch the plastic, get yourself reusable bottle and enjoy.

Early morning and late afternoon safaris from Bakubung or Kwa Maritane bush lodges are your best bet — their vehicles get the best views and the guides are exceptionally knowledgeable. This area is rich with archaeological and geological treasures, including the Sterkfontein Caves, and in recent years huge discoveries have been made. Buy silk and samosas at the Oriental Plaza. Fietas is one of the famous old Johannesburg neighborhoods where many races lived and mixed joyfully until they were segregated under apartheid.

Indian families and shops were moved to Lenasia and Fordsburg, where many remain today. In Fordsburg, the government pushed traders into a shopping center called The Oriental Plaza, where you can still buy absolutely anything, from hot samosas to knitting needles and leather goods to Kashmiri furniture and, of course, lots and lots of gold.

This place is also known for its endless variety of textiles, and skilled tailors. Get stuffed. But then there is South African Indian food—which is rather less sophisticated, but wholly satisfying. There are so few things we can rely on in this world.

Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel, what they eat, where they stay. Free to sign up. In South African townships, an ostentatious youth subculture is about much more than expensive clothing.

The tallest apartment building in Africa was built as a modernist tribute to apartheid. Mar 23 Author: Yumna Mohamed ,. Walking in Rosebank: the elaborately decorated cart belonging to Solly, a homeless man and local celebrity who divides his time between Rosebank, Saxonwold, and Parkview. Photo by: Yumna Mohamed. View of downtown Johannesburg from the Carlton Centre, which has been the tallest office building in Africa since Photo by: Francisco Anzola.

Meat at Chaf Pozi, a shisa nyama barbecue restaurant in Soweto. Photo by: SA Tourism. People walking past the painted cooling towers and bungee bridge of the decommissioned Orlando Power Station in Soweto. Photo by: Francisco Azola. But the best is definitely the rooftop that provides a great view of the city and also a place to soak in the sun and listen to the live music. This market is also part of the Arts on Main complex, which features artist studios, galleries and quirky shops.

I spent a very short time in the city, but I met some really cool people. Actually the friendliest ones I met during my 40 days in South Africa. I talked to people at the markets, bars, restaurants, parties, cab drivers, and they were all warm and sociable. It was very touching to notice that those people were truly happy with our presence and I did feel very welcome.

Many people decide not to visit Johannesburg when travelling to South Africa because they consider the city unsafe and not interesting. In my first 5min in the city people tried to rob me twice… But even though that happened, I still loved Joburg! Just be aware rather than panicked and you might also love this city too. You may also be interested in:. I always use World Nomads Travel Insurance for independent travelers.

Get your travel insurance here. Johannesburg is located on the Highveld, a plateau region in South Africa, at an elevation of 1, m 5, ft. Check the exactly location here. Johannesburg is served principally by OR Tambo International Airport for both domestic and international flights. Lanseria Airport, located to the north-west of the city and closer to the business hub of Sandton, is used for commercial flights to Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Botswana, and Sun City.

You can buy your ticket here with Skyscanner , which is the website that I use and trust. To move around the city the best thing is getting an Uber and I really recommend you setting up an Uber account.

Another option is the Hop-On Hop-Off bus. Johannesburg enjoys a sunny climate, with the summer months October to April characterized by hot days followed by afternoon thundershowers and cool evenings, and the winter months May to September by dry, sunny days followed by cold nights. During these low season months, crowds lessen, prices drop and the weather is relatively warm and dry.

You list some great reasons to visit Jozi in your post!