Gauteng, north-east interior · South Africa
The City of Gold: a big, restless metropolis built on a gold rush, where the story of apartheid and the struggle to end it is told in museums and in the streets of Soweto.
Photo: Evan Bench · CC BY 2.0
Johannesburg was founded in 1886, after gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand ridge, and it grew from a mining camp into a city of millions in a few decades. Known as Egoli, the place of gold, it is South Africa's largest city and its economic centre, at an altitude of about 1,750 metres. Despite its size and its reputation for crime, it is a city of energy, art, food and history, and one of the most important places for understanding modern South Africa.
Its history is inseparable from apartheid. The Apartheid Museum documents the rise and fall of racial segregation, and Constitution Hill, a former prison complex where Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were held, now houses the Constitutional Court. Soweto, the South Western Townships, home to well over a million people, was the heart of the resistance. Vilakazi Street, where Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial, commemorating the 1976 student uprising, are among its landmarks.
Johannesburg is best visited with local guidance, since central areas can be unsafe, but its neighbourhoods reward exploring. Maboneng and Braamfontein have galleries, cafés and markets, Melville and Rosebank have restaurants, and the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO site of fossil-bearing caves, lies an hour away. It is also the main gateway to Kruger and the north-east, and most visitors spend two days here at the start or end of a trip.
Why visit
Johannesburg and Soweto tell the story of modern South Africa, and offer urban culture that other cities lack.
The Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill and Soweto are moving and essential.
A living township with history, music, food and a proud community.
Art, markets, street food and nightlife in Maboneng, Braamfontein and Melville.
Fossil caves where ancient hominid remains were found.
Connections to Kruger, Cape Town and the rest of Africa.
Main attractions
Most sights are best visited by ride-hailing or on a guided tour, and grouped by area.
A superbly designed museum that traces the history of segregation and the struggle against it, with film, photographs and objects. Visitors enter through separate gates marked 'White' and 'Non-White'.
Tip Allow at least three hours.
A former prison, called the Old Fort, and the site of the Constitutional Court, with museums and guided tours about the people who were held here, including Gandhi and Mandela.
Tip Take a guided tour.
The Soweto street where Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu both lived. The Mandela House is a museum, and the street has restaurants and performers.
Tip Visit with a guide.
A memorial and museum to the 1976 Soweto student uprising, in which schoolchildren protested against apartheid education and many were killed.
Tip A moving visit.
Two colourfully painted former power station cooling towers, now an adventure venue with bungee, swing and climbing, and a symbol of Soweto.
Tip Book activities in advance.
A revitalised inner-city district of warehouses, galleries, cafés and a Sunday market.
Tip Go on a Sunday, and use ride-hailing apps.
Things to do
Combine history, food and urban culture.
A local guide shows the history, homes, markets and music.
Tip Choose a locally owned operator.
Try kota sandwiches, braai and pap.
Tip Go with a guide.
See the Sterkfontein Caves and the Maropeng exhibition, about 50 km away.
Tip A half-day trip.
Johannesburg has a strong music scene.
Tip Book a taxi home.
Neighbourhood Goods Market and Rosebank Rooftop Market.
Tip Go on a weekend.
A game at FNB Stadium, where the 2010 World Cup final was played.
Tip Go with a local group.
Local food
Johannesburg's food is diverse, from township street food to fine dining.
A Soweto street-food sandwich, a hollowed loaf filled with chips, egg, sausage and sauces.
Where to try it Soweto takeaways.
Grilled meat with pap and chakalaka relish.
Where to try it Shisanyama restaurants.
Maize porridge with a spicy vegetable relish.
Where to try it Local restaurants.
Modern restaurants using local ingredients.
Where to try it Rosebank and Melville.
A strong café and craft beer scene.
Where to try it Braamfontein and Maboneng.
Accommodation
Stay in Sandton, Rosebank or Melville for safety and convenience, or in a Soweto guesthouse.
Transport
Johannesburg is South Africa's main international gateway.
Use ride-hailing apps and tours, and avoid walking in unfamiliar areas.
When to go
Johannesburg has a mild highveld climate, with warm, wet summers and dry, sunny, cold-nighted winters.
Warm, with afternoon thunderstorms.
Warm, dry and clear.
Sunny, dry days and cold nights.
Warming, with jacaranda blossom.
Worth planning around: Summer afternoons for storms.
Itinerary
Museums, Soweto and food.
Museums.
The township.
Travel tips
A few tips help you stay safe and get the most out of the city.
FAQ
Two days for the main sights, including Soweto.
Crime is a concern. Use ride-hailing apps, guided tours and reputable areas, and follow local advice.
Guided tours are generally safe and are a highlight of a visit.
April to October.
It is powerful and sobering, and takes about three hours.
For two days, yes, for the history and culture.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Johannesburg, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Limpopo and Mpumalanga, north-east South Africa, South Africa
South Africa's flagship safari destination: 19,500 square kilometres of savanna with lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, buffaloes and more, visited by self-drive, guided drives and private reserves.
Don't miss A dawn game drive that ends with a leopard resting in a tree beside the road.
Explore Destination — Kruger National ParkMpumalanga, north-east South Africa, South Africa
A scenic route through Mpumalanga's escarpment, with Blyde River Canyon, God's Window, the Three Rondavels, Bourke's Luck Potholes, waterfalls and the old gold town of Pilgrim's Rest.
Don't miss The view from God's Window across the lowveld, with the Blyde River Canyon and the Three Rondavels beyond.
Explore Destination — The Panorama RouteWestern Cape, south-west coast, South Africa
One of the world's most beautiful cities: Table Mountain, the Waterfront, Robben Island, the Cape Peninsula's penguins and Cape Point, Kirstenbosch, Bo-Kaap and a superb food scene.
Don't miss The top of Table Mountain on a clear day, looking over the city, the bay and the Atlantic coast at your feet.
Explore Destination — Cape TownKwaZulu-Natal, on the Lesotho border, South Africa
A UNESCO-listed mountain range of dramatic escarpments, with the Amphitheatre and Tugela Falls, Cathedral Peak, Giant's Castle, San rock art, hiking, horse riding and mountain resorts.
Don't miss Standing beneath the Amphitheatre, a five-kilometre rock wall towering above the Royal Natal National Park.
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