Johannesburg

Johannesberg in Zulu or Xhosa Context eGoli (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or “The City of Gold”)

Exploring the Area 

Johannesberg in context Zulu or Xhosa eGoli (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or “The City of Gold“) is the most populous city in South  Africa, classified as a megacity, it is one od the largest urban areas in the world. It is the largest city of Gauteng, which is the wealthiest province in South Africa. The city is located within the mineral-rich Witwatersrand hills, the epicentre of the international-scale mineral, gold and (specifically) diamond trade.

The city was established in 1886, following the discovery of gold, on what had been a farm. Due to the extremely large gold deposits found along the Witwatersrand, within ten years, the population had grown to over 100,000 inhabitants.

A separate city from the late 1970s until 1994, Soweto is now part of Johannesburg proper. An acronym for “South-Western Townships”, Soweto was organised initially as a collection of nondescript settlements on the outskirts of the city, populated mostly by African labourers working in the gold mining industry. Soweto, although eventually incorporated into Johannesburg, had been explicitly separated as a residential area for blacks only—no whites allowed—who were not permitted to live in other “white-designated” areas of Johannesburg.

Eating and Drinking

On weekends, many South African families have a braai, which consists of beef, pork, worse and chicken and the meal usually is served as pap en vleis, which is maize meal and grilled meat. Some of the mouth watering traditional meals to try would be dumbling, Chakalaka and Beef stew.

What to See and Do

1. Maboneng, Johannesburg is the seat of the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa

2. Soweto & Alexandra Township

3.Mandelas House & Bishop Desmond Tutu House

4. Gold Rush, Gold Mines and Mine Dumps & Gold Reef City Theme Park

5. Aparthied Museum

6. Cradle of humankind

7. Lion park

8. Art Galleries

9. Botanical Gardens

10. Pilanesberg National Park

11.Sun City

Where to Stay

Hotels in Gauteng have easy access and are located in great ideal spots for moving around, best places to stay would be in Sandton City Rosebank and surroundings. If you looking for a young hippy vibe staying anywhere within the city centre is ideal as a lot of young vibes occur around those areas. For a Quick stopover staying close to the airport would be ideal.

Lastly if you looking to connect with the locals a stay in Soweto and other townships would be ideal.

How to Get Around

It is always advisable to use recognized shuttles to move around the city as these people know the city more. Using the likes of the underground train by the name of gautrain is one of the fastest ways to move around. Public transport as mini bus taxis or Bus services are another form of movement, bear in mind they are best recommended to be accompanied by a local.

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