Johannesburg: City of Contrast

Johannesburg is a city of vast contrasts. In today’s post, I am going to highlight the contrast between some of Jozi’s trendy urban areas that have been the subject of some inner city rejuvenation with some of the tranquil outdoor areas found in and around Joburg.

The Johannesburg CBD (central business district) did suffer a decline during the nineties and the first half of the naughties, it has been undergoing a revival, including the mixed-use urban precincts, Maboneng (One of the twelve coolest urban areas in the World according to Forbes) and the Grove in Braamfontein. Both of these areas offer you the chance to get some delicious coffee, sample some amazing food and explore parts of Joburg on foot in a safe, vibrant area. Close by is Newtown, Jozi’s cultural hub, it is home to theatres (including the Market Theatre, which was dubbed the “Theatre of the Struggle” ), more art galleries, as well as the Museum Africa. From the second half of the nineties, a large number of corporates have moved their business headquarters out of the Johannesburg CBD and into Sandton, including the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and it is regarded to be the financial hub of Africa.  Joburg is also home of Soweto, an important historical part of South Africa. If you visit the area you can walk along Vilakazi street, which was home to Nobel Laureates President Nelson Mandela and Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu. Soweto also houses a number of museums.

The Witpoortjie Falls at the Walter Sisulu Botanical GardensIf you are looking to escape from the business of the city, Jozi is the home of two botanical gardens: The Johannesburg Botanical Gardens and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. The centrepiece of the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens is the Witpoortjie Falls which is also the nesting site for a pair of urban Verreaux’s eagles.

Outside the city limits, you can visit the UNESCO World Heritage site the Cradle of Humankind, the world’s richest hominin site where around 40% of the world’s human ancestor fossils have been found, including homo Naledi. The Cradle of Humankind complex features over 40 sites the majority of which are not open two the public, but the Cradle features two main tourist attractions, Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves. Maropeng offers a beautifully designed paleoanthropological visitor’s centre which features a series of interactive exhibits about the history of the planet, the beginnings of life and the story of humanity’s origins. Visitors two the Sterkfontein Caves can take guided walks through the caves and see some older excavation sites.

We hope that you will get the opportunity to explore our beautiful city when you come to WordCamp JHB 18.