Utilizing extensive expertise in South Africa, you may want to elucidate the most noteworthy attractions in Johannesburg.
It took may take ome time to develop a fondness for this city; however, if you look past its apparent issues, you will discover a dynamic, future-oriented metropolis brimming with attractions, just as I did.
eGoli, Johannesburg, Jo’burg, and Jozi. The reputation of the largest metropolis in South Africa has undoubtedly caught your attention. However, fortunately declining high crime rates are not the final chapter in the city’s history.
Furthermore, given that Johannesburg is home to the principal international terminal of the nation, it is highly probable that you will spend at least one night there. Spending that amount of time confined to a hotel in one of the city’s suburbs would be an abject waste.
Johannesburg, which originated from the gold discovery in 1896, experienced a decline a century later as a result of the “white flight” that occurred during the transition from apartheid to multiparty democracy. Undesirable individuals migrating to the suburbs accompanied families’ departure.
In contrast, communities are currently reclaiming the streets, as Newtown and Maboneng’s redevelopment demonstrates. Although I always advise exercising caution, particularly when traveling internationally, the headlines should not deter you from exploring the latest chatter surrounding the top attractions in Johannesburg.
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg:
- Apartheid Museum
- Johannesburg Art Gallery
- Newtown
- Constitution Hill Human Rights Precinct
- Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
- Soweto
- Origins Center
- Maboneng
- Museum Africa
- Gandhi Square
- National Museum of Military History
- Braamfontein
- The Wilds
- Hop-on Hop-off Bus
- Wits Art Museum
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg, Read More Below!
1. Apartheid Museum
Established in late 2001, the Apartheid Museum is situated in the intermediary zone connecting Soweto and Johannesburg’s Central Business District (CBD). Situated within the Gold Reef City amusement park, this foreboding edifice accommodates the preeminent study of the nation’s previous racial segregation policies.
Deliberately curated, this work vividly portrays the harsh and heartbreaking realities of apartheid. This includes the provision of two entrances, which are alternately visited by visitors.
The interior features exhibits and displays that candidly address significant events spanning four decades, such as the Sharpeville Massacre and Soweto Uprising, which tragically claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians.
2. Johannesburg Art Gallery
Situated in Joubert Park, in the center of Johannesburg, the Johannesburg Art Gallery boasts the most extensive collection of its kind in Africa. Its 15 interconnected gallery spaces and small sculpture garden feature an assortment of artworks, from Dutch works from the 17th century to contemporary domestic creations.
While the gallery does showcase a number of renowned artists, such as Rodin, Picasso, and Moore, an interest in South African art is the primary motivation for visiting.
In 1940, the gallery acquired Yellow Bricks by Gerard Sekoto, the first piece of art by a black artist that had been purchased in the country. In addition to Walter Battiss and Sydney Kumalo, Jacobus Pierneef is an additional individual to be monitored.
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg, Read More Below!
3. Newtown
Newtown, situated to the south of Johannesburg’s largest train terminal (the largest in Africa), is not exactly a recent development.
Having been established during the late 1800s, when the city was still referred to as Brickfields, it comprises a number of architecturally significant structures, one of which is Turbine Hall.
Performance venues abound along the delightfully tranquil streets of Newtown, including The Market Theater and the Carfax live music venue.
The Workers’ Museum and the child-friendly Sci-Bono Discovery Center science museum are also located there.
4. Constitution Hill Human Rights Precinct
Perspective from above of Constitution Hill in the heart of Johannesburg Constitution Hill, which houses the Constitutional Court of South Africa, is not an arid courts complex.
On the contrary, it is an edifice that can be traced back to the inception of Johannesburg. The walls of this fort-turned-prison-turned-museum bear the incarcerated likenesses of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.
Comprised of the Old Fort, Women’s Jail (or Gaol), and Number Four (or Native Prison), the museum documents the heinous repercussions of apartheid in an additional significant way.
In addition to a café stocked with delectable treats, Mandela ignited a perpetual Flame of Democracy to commemorate the country’s new constitution’s fifteenth anniversary in 2011.
5. Johannesburg Botanical Gardens
Johannesburg Botanical Gardens are located,
Established in 1969, the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens encompass a vast expanse of 81 hectares.
Subsequently, a grassy region that had been utilized by golfers as a driving range has been transformed into a cherished recreational space.
Visitors will be treated to an arboretum containing trees from various regions, a succulent garden comprising 85 species, and a Shakespeare garden featuring plants referenced in the bards’ plays, all of which are separated into several smaller gardens.
This is in addition to the reservoir and rose garden that the Emmarentia Dam has produced.
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg, Read More Below!
6. Soweto
Originally known as the South-West Townships, Soweto Soweto was constructed to accommodate non-white Johannesburg residents beyond the city limits.
It was the location of numerous anti-apartheid demonstrations, such as the 1976 Soweto Uprising, and is now home to a number of significant landmarks.
At the outset of an organized visit, Walter Sisulu Square is the most notable attraction in Soweto. It functions as an open-air museum, a broad grassed square, that provides an account of the Freedom Charter’s inception – the tenets proposed for a democratic South Africa.
The 33-story Orlando Towers and the Mandela House Museum are located elsewhere. These former power station cooling towers, which are now adorned with vibrant murals, are among the most exhilarating bungee leaping locations in the world.
7. Origins Center
The history of South Africa predates both European colonization in the 1650s and apartheid. An expedition back in time is feasible at the Origins Center, spanning over two million years.
This museum, which is committed to the study of human evolution, elucidates not only our cultural and biological development, but also the course of human history.
The Origins Center safeguards a remarkable collection of rock art with an emphasis on Southern African hominids for the benefit of future generations.
READ MORE BELOW!!!
10 Top Tips for traveling to Africa
Top 10 Best Places to Visit in Comoros
A significant portion of South Africa was once inhabited by the San, an indigenous people, prior to the advent of Europeans.
Additional displays encompass stone implements, all contained within a magnificent, cutting-edge museum environment.
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg, Read More Below!
8. Maboneng
Maboneng Precinct, which is currently teeming with interesting sights, activities, and gastronomy, is regarded as one of the most prosperous regeneration initiatives globally.
Art on Main is the location of numerous studios, whereas street art adorns the thoroughfares of this locale, which is a mecca for art enthusiasts.
Fox Street, which is in close proximity to Main Street, serves as the focal point of the neighborhood due to its abundance of fashionable coffee shops and cafés. After late evening, especially on Saturday nights, when Maboneng is unequivocally the place to be, nightclubs begin to fill the void.
Additionally, if you remain alert for an extended period of time, you may wish to attend Art on Main’s Sunday Market on Main.
9. Museum Africa
Situated on an entire side of Mary Fitzgerald Square, Museum Africa is housed within a 1913-built fruit and vegetable market structure. It is charged with examining the cultures across the entire continent.
This is achieved through the exhibition of various artifacts, including musical instruments, masks, and traditional attire.
However, Museum Africa also features an image-based exhibition that chronicles the evolution of Johannesburg’s appearance throughout time.
The Rivonia Trail, where Nelson Mandela was held captive for twenty-seven years, and the history of photography in South Africa comprise additional exhibits.
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg, Read More Below!
10. Gandhi Square
Gandhi Square is a sizable plaza located in Marshalltown, an area replete with gleaming office buildings that are owned by major institutions. It is named after the early lawyer and Indian activist who resided in Johannesburg.
Once severely devoid of amenities, the revitalization of the square has resulted in the resurgence of businesses and cafes in this vital area.
The British military camped in Government Square in 1900, where Afrikaner Boer forces capitulated to conclude their siege of the city.
Several exquisitely designed historic structures situated on the periphery of the vicinity have managed to withstand the assault of the contemporary tower blocks.
11. National Museum of Military History
This expansive museum features both indoor and outdoor exhibits that provide comprehensive accounts of the South African military’s involvement during the nation’s occasionally tumultuous past.
Its extensive collection of artifacts comprises numerous vehicles and aircraft, including two World War II-era historic aircraft, a Spitfire, and a Messerschmitt 109.
The collection documents, in addition to minor artifacts, the participation of the South African armed forces between the Anglo-Boer Wars of the early 1900s and the 1994 free elections. Sir Edwin Lutyens’s magnificent Anglo-Boer War Memorial is situated on the premises.
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg, Read More Below!
12. Braamfontein
The close proximity of two prestigious universities guarantees a perpetual stream of captivating events occurring in Braamfontein.
Weekends are typically the most favorable time to visit this fashion and music mecca of Johannesburg, as it is devoid of students’ lectures.
The ‘Neighborgoods Market,’ which originated in Cape Town prior to its expansion to Johannesburg, is one of the activities available. Both locals and visitors can peruse the two floors of merchandise, cuisine, and beverages. The rooftop tavern capitalizes on its advantageous location. A rooftop farm and more conventional retailers that carry the newest in trendy merchandise are located in close proximity.
13. The Wilds
Located in the Houghton district of Johannesburg. Spanning an area of sixteen hectares, it encompasses two koppies, or stony outcrops, that offer picturesque vistas back to the city center of Johannesburg.
Nevertheless, the primary draw of The Wilds is its artworks, which are composed primarily of laser-cut creatures in vivid hues that were handcrafted by the local artist James Delaney.
They started in an owl forest, which housed nearly seventy of the birds. Eight kilometers of pathways meander through primarily native vegetation in order to access the various works of art.
15 Best Things to Do in Johannesburg, Read More Below!
14. Hop-on Hop-off Bus
Hop-on, hop-off transportation in Johannesburg
Although frequent in urban areas across the globe, hop-on hop-off tourist transportation in Johannesburg should not be disregarded. This is especially true if you have only a few hours to spare and are considering the city’s magnitude.
Typically, they follow two distinct itineraries, one of which restricts their sight-seeing to the city center and the other to more distant locations. For a brief introduction to what you are witnessing, consider reserving seats on the open upper deck during pleasant weather conditions.
These vehicles serve as an excellent alternative mode of transportation to the Apartheid Museum for individuals lacking their own means.
15. Wits Art Museum
In 2012, Johannesburg welcomed the architecturally remarkable Wits Art Museum, which has since become one of the city’s most recent attractions.
The gallery’s 5,000 square meters of exhibition space house a meticulously curated assortment of traditional and contemporary works of art, including 10,000 individual pieces such as sculptures.
The pristine white interior truly elevates the quality of every object showcased, including sculptures, fabrics, modern South African photography, and watercolors.