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Introducing Johannesburg

By Natalie Horsley

Posted: 10th September 2014 11:09

The city of Johannesburg (Jo’burg or Jozi as it is affectionately known by its admirers) is a city that has gone through a miraculous change.  Once much maligned for its crime ridden streets, it has gone on to transform itself to become a modern urban and cultural hub.  Inner city suburbs are now lined with boutique stores and niche coffee shops, where well dressed hipsters sip on their lattes.

A must on any visit to this city is the Apartheid Museum, which offers a very moving account of South Africa’s history.  Using film, photographs and live accounts to depict the establishment of the apartheid system, there are also some inspiring stories of the fight for democracy.  It is an invaluable opportunity to learning about tensions and inequalities of the nation that are still prominent in South African society today too. 

The district of Newtown has become the cultural heart of the city; it is packed with theatres, restaurants, museums and jazz clubs.  It is home to the Market Theatre, which is famous for its role in the fight against apartheid as the “Theatre of Struggle” where it was a non-racial theatre from 1974.  Walk the streets and admire the art which has been strewn across many of the districts walls.  You can’t miss the Carlton Centre Skyscraper either, the tallest building in Africa!

Jo’burg has gone on to become one of the essential locations in South Africa, reinventing itself as a place where culture flourishes, it is now home to a friendly and welcoming vibe where there are a lot of things to see and do.  

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