Streets of Joburg

Why visit Johannesburg

Why you should visit Johannesburg.

My personal experiences of the vibrant City of Joburg

When I considered to visit Johannesburg, majority of the people would say, “Are you insane? Johannesburg is dangerous!”. Even before I went to South Africa for the first time, a lot of people advised me to be super careful as it is a dangerous place. However, I never understood how those who have not travelled to this place knew of its apparent danger. I mean, I have been in this “dangerous” country for about 3 years and well, I am still alive. Nevertheless, as it is with any country, you have to know where to go, research how to travel around the place, and well, besides having fun, you have to always be aware and careful. There are spots where you can go and there are some you should avoid and that’s also how it works in South Africa. I have to admit that the two major cities in South Africa are completely different from each other; Cape Town is much more European and relatively safer, however, Joburg is on its way. Below you will find my reasons why I fell in love with the City of Gold and some valuable tips for you on your trip.

Maboneng – the heart of culture, business and lifestyle

When you plan on visiting Johannesburg a stop in downtown – on the far east side of the city – is a must. Here you will find a bustling, interesting suburb called Maboneng. This suburb is an area that is still developing; however it has transformed from a no-go area into a hip, vibrant urban community. Just ten years ago, the east side of Joburg was crime-ridden and seedy. Nowadays, you walk through a trendy, well-maintained 24-hour security area with:

  • Art Galleries
  • Trendy Restaurants
  • Coffee Shops
  • Cool Bars
  • Collaborative work spaces and
  • Cinemas

 

The buildings and walls of Maboneng are covered with murals and paintings. Thanks to a youngster, Jonathan Liebmann, Maboneng is a gallery of street art and sculptures. When he returned home to Joburg, he started to invest a lot of money, buying a lot of houses and bringing artists to the area. Although the area is developing, it is continuously an area of contrast; just as you pass a trendy street, you will find abandoned houses in the same area too.

Do you already follow me on Instagram?

Instagram

By loading the post, you agree to Instagram’s privacy policy.
Learn more

Load post

Things to do in Maboneng:

 

  • Visit “The Kwa Mai-Mai Traditional Healers Market”

This market is known to be the oldest market in Johannesburg and used to be a horse stable. Now it houses over 176 market stall units, where you are guaranteed to find the best souvenirs to take back home. Amongst other things, you will find animal skins, traditional clothes and even strange things like parts of animals which are used as traditional medicine. The people working there are predominantly Zulu-speaking people. The Zulu’s are the largest ethnic group in Southern Africa. Their language is a Bantu language and one of the eleven official languages of South Africa.

  • Check out the restaurants, bars, markets and galleries in Maboneng

Here you will find listed all the places you mustn´t miss out on.

  • Go on a Inner City Walking Tour with Mainstreet Walks

One of my stops was Carlton Centre, which I personally found to be impressive. Carlton Centre is a skyscraper and shopping centre in downtown Johannesburg and also, the tallest building in Africa. We took the elevator to a viewing deck on the 50th floor and enjoyed an insanely breathtaking view of Johannesburg.

This is Carlton Center in Johannesburg. It is the highest building in the city.

 

 


 

Read next: Top 10 Things to do in Johannesburg

 


 

Braamfontein – explore the bustling hipster suburb

Things to do in Braamfontein:

 

The student side of Braamfontein

Braamfontein is another vibrant suburb of Johannesburg that you shouldn´t miss once you visit Johannesburg.  One of South Africa‘s most famous universities – The University of Witwatersrand – is located in Braamfontein, which explains why the area is commonly known as a student area.

The area comes alive mostly on weekends with students enjoying the party scenes by night. During this time, you will find students airing cool tunes in their cars, sitting and dancing on the sidewalks. In Melle Street you can find big flatscreens on the wall, which broadcasts sports games and therefore becomes the perfect spot to meet friends, chill and spend your evenings. This area has its own vibe.

Don´t forget to pin my post!

This is Johannesburg in South Africa

The artistic side of Braamfontein

Don’t get me wrong, Braamfontein is even more than just a student area. One street up, the suburb offers a more serious side as it also hosts many of South Africa’s musicians and artists. It boasts some of the best public art in the city and is home to lots of galleries, as well as the famous Joburg Theatre. Also you can find jazz clubs, coffee shops, good restaurants and lots of street art.

 

 


Are you planning to visit Johannesburg soon? Here you can design your own trip:

Johannesburg

Design your own trip

Pick a route, choose your lodges and we’ll do the rest
Design a trip
In partnership with


 

Soweto – More of a city than a township

Our parents probably know Soweto due to the horrible fights that used to take place there in times of Apartheid. Soweto (abbreviation for: South-Western Townships) is the largest township in South Africa and a result of the segregation policy starting in 1904. When gold was discovered in 1884, people from all over the country moved to Joburg to look for employment. Soweto was created to become home of mainly black mine workers to segregate them away from the city centre which was supposed to be home of white population. Soweto’s growth was unplanned and up to today it probably has more than 2 million inhabitants.

Things to do in Soweto:

Honestly, I was afraid of going to Soweto cause I did not know what to expect but basically Soweto is its own suburb like a big city. It has its unique infrastructure, vibe and sightseeing areas. As mentioned before, be sure to be careful when exploring the area. What you should do is travel with a local who knows the area; I did a bicycle tour with a local and it was much better than exploring alone. How I experienced Soweto was a place of contrast. In the surroundings of even the poorest of homes, you can find beautiful villas – the homes of millionaires. Soweto even has its own adventure area – the Orlando Towers. For those who need their daily adrenaline rush, this is your spot for bungee jumping, abseiling and free-falling.

Things to do in Soweto

Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum as well as Vilakazi Street, which is the only street in the world that used to house 2 Nobel Prize winners (Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu) are two more points of interest in Soweto.

 


 

Read next: My road trip in Kwa Zulu Natal – South Africa

 


 

Apartheid Museum

A big part of the South African history is Apartheid. Getting to know why South Africa is the country that it is today you have to know about its history. You can explore the museum by your self but be prepared to read a lot and all the information can be quite overwhelming. I spent 4 hours in there and I almost collapsed by the amount of information I had to take in. Entrance Fee Apartheid Museum: R 95 (adults)

My advice:

  • Go on a guided tour
  • Take the Hop on Hop off City Sightseeing Bus as it stops right in front of the museum

This is inside the Apartheid museum in Johannesburg South Africa.

 

Other things to do in Johannesburg

  • Visit Constitution Hill
  • Visit Walther Sisulu Botanical Garden
  • Watch a cricket game at Wanderers Stadium

The This is Bidvest Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

 

Entertainment and Johannesburg nightlife sector

Joburg´s nightlife has something to offer for every taste. These are the spots I discovered:

Braamfontein Nightlife:

  • Neighbourgoods Market – Food Market
  • The Beach – Rooftop Beach Bar
  • Kitchener´s – Pub and Bar
  • The Orbit – Jazz Club and Bistro

 

Parkhurst Nightlife:

  • Jolly Rogers – Restaurant and Bar
  • Jolly Cools – Restaurant and Bar
  • The Rocket – Restaurant

 

Greenside Nightlife:

  • Mish Mash
  • Po Na Na
  • The Artisan -Restaurant and Bar

 

Sandton Nightlife:

  • Katy’s Palace Bar on a Wednesday

 

Maboneng Nightlife:

  • Along Foxstreet there are plenty of nice bars and restaurants like:
    • Lenin’s Vodka Bar
    • Market on Main
    • Art´s on Main

 

FourWays Area Nightlife:

  • check out the variety of nightclubs, bars and lounges

 

Newtown Nightlife:

  • SAB World of Beer
  • Potato Shed – Restaurant

 

Melleville Nightlife:

  • 7th street

 

 


 

Read next: My road trip in South Africa

 


 

Where to stay in Johannesburg

Located in Braamfontein is my favorite hostel in Johannesburg called “Once in Joburg“. It is the sister brand of the hostel I work for in Cape Town, Once in Cape Town, and it is an all-star hostel with a fun and vibrant atmosphere.

Right in front of Once in Joburg, you will find a stop for the Hop-on Hop-off City Sightseeing Bus. The main central railway station, called Park Station, is just five minutes away from the hostel. Breweries, bars, restaurants and clubs are also in walking distance.

I have stayed in many hostels before and it is really difficult to find a hostel like this. Also it is really tough to find such welcoming and heart-warming staff. By offering a free activity every day the hostel, ensures that travelers easily mingle with other guests.

Once in Joburg offers 4 bed sleepers and private rooms – each with an en-suite bathroom. Every private room comes with air conditioning, safe, flatscreen and a tea/coffee Station.

This is Once in Johannesburg, a hostel in Johannesburg.

Breakfast is provided by the in-house restaurant and bar, “The Immigrant”, and is included in the rate, as well as, free underground parking. I went there to visit my friends and checking out the place. We cooked South African dishes, played beer-pong and ended up going out almost every night with the hostel staff, thus making the hostel a definite place to stay.

 

How to get around in Johannesburg

What is the best way to get around in Johannesburg if you don’t have an own car? I can recommend the following ways of transportation:

Taxi

The local and cheapest way (average rate R10) of getting around in Johannesburg are the mini-bus taxis. These taxis are a 12-seater and it goes through town in different directions.

This way of transportation was developed during the Apartheid era by black commuters, who had to travel long distances to and from work without easy access to transportation. You can find different big taxi stations in the city center of Johannesburg – called taxi ranks..

My advice:

  • Getting around in Joburg by taxi requires a special knowledge – the sign language. The handsign is indicating to stop the taxi and to show them where you want to go. You are best adviced to speak to a local or ask the driver in one of the taxi ranks directly in order to find out how to get to your destination.
  • Never take a mini-bus taxi when it is dark or if they are empty.
  • Be careful when you drive your own car and drive next to a mini-bus driver. They follow their own road rules; they stop wherever and whenever they choose, do not indicate and travel at whatever speed suits them.

 

Gautrain

Gautrain is a super modern train and comes along with three routes. Two routes within Johannesburg – from Santon to the Airport and from Santon to Rhodesfield. The third route connects Johannesburg and Pretoria – commuting between Park Station Joburg and Hatfield, Pretoria. If you want to use Gautrain you need to get a card which you upload with money. It’s about R 160 to get from Johannesburg Airport to Park Station Johannesburg. For sure it’s more expensive but it’s worth it.

Uber

The quickest, safest and most convenient way of getting around in Johannesburg is Uber. Uber? What? For those who have never heard of Uber before – especially Germans as we don’t have Uber in Germany – you can compare it with a cab that you order with an app on your phone.
Lets get started:
Download the uber app.
Create an account.
If you have never used uber before add this promo code: p7smqp44ue under payment and you gonna get a discount up to R 50 for your first ride.

My advice:

  • When choosing your pick-up location always make sure that you choose a location like a specific hotel, bar, restaurant or shopping centre (most of the time the pin location is inaccurate).
  • There is no need to add a credit card, it works on cash as well.
  • As your driver is arriving please always double-check that it is the car, the number plate and the driver as it is shown on your phone.

 

Have you been to Johannesburg before? What did you like most? Let me know in the comments!

Would you like to read and see more about my Africa trips? Here we go!

 

[Disclaimer: This blog post contains some affiliate links. Once you purchase something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This tiny commission will help support my blog hosting and other maintenance costs. All my opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. Thank you!]

8 Comments
  • Johannesburg – why it´s worth it to visit the City of Gold? | Once in Cape Town
    Posted at 10:42h, 29 May Reply

    […] Right in front of Once in Joburg, you will find a stop for the Hop-on Hop-off City Sightseeing Bus. The main central railway station, called Park Station, is just five minutes away from the hostel. Breweries, bars, restaurants and clubs are also in walking distance. Read more […] […]

  • Annika
    Posted at 14:20h, 15 July Reply

    Thanks for such a detailed post. When I recently visited Cape Town, I fell in love. I wish I would have added Johannesburg to my trip. I definitely plan to visit in the future.

    • Claudi
      Posted at 21:31h, 15 July Reply

      Hey Annika,

      you can still come back. Now you know what to do 🙂

  • Anna
    Posted at 19:40h, 15 July Reply

    Thanks so much for sharing this! I had lots of people telling me Johannesburg was dangerous, but I would love to go one day! I never knew there was so much to it, and everywhere can be dangerous if you don't look after yourself of course 🙂

    • Claudi
      Posted at 21:35h, 15 July Reply

      Hi Anna,
      exactly it can be dangerous everywhere. I have also met lots of people that were telling me the same but those people have never been in Johannesburg. So this is one thing I have learned, I always make up my own mind. Glad you enjoyed reading my post and hope you going to check out Joburg one day.

  • Nadeen
    Posted at 22:40h, 15 July Reply

    This is a great post! I have been to Johannesburg twice and it's very interesting. Learning about the history of Apartheid in the museum and going to Soweto were memorable experiences for me. We stayed in Melrose Arch both times and enjoyed that area. Great hotels and restaurants!

  • What to Expect During a Safari - Glamorous Glitter
    Posted at 13:31h, 20 December Reply

    […] each one will be different from the previous. Some are even close to big cities like Cape Town or Johannesburg. The wild is unpredictable, and you should be ready to experience anything that comes your way. In […]

  • Shona lesson for travelers - On Claudi Nine
    Posted at 09:13h, 11 June Reply

    […] far I have only been to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe but most of my friends in South Africa are Zimbabweans that’s why I was super keen to learn a bit of the language in order to be […]

Post A Comment