Johannesburg
The gateway to South Africa
Categories: Johannesburg South Africa
Johannesburg
Johannesburg, the city of gold, is the largest metropolis in South Africa and the African continent. It is THE economic centre of South Africa and is located in the centre of the Gauteng province. Together with the capital Pretoria, this densely populated province forms a mega-metropolis with over 8 million inhabitants.
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The city on the Witwatersrand (ridge with white water=waterfalls) with 4 million inhabitants was founded when the first gold was discovered in 1886. Within a few years the city developed into the centre of gold and as early as 1887 the Johannesburg Stock Exchange was founded. Since then Jo'burg or Jozi, as it is also called, has been the economically strongest city in South Africa. The Telkom Joburg Tower (television tower) is with 270 m height the highest building in Africa.
For tourism, Johannesburg is the gateway to South Africa, because many tours through the country and safaris start here. In Commissioner Street with the Carlton Centre, which was built in the 70s, the city tour can start. With a height of 220 m it is the highest building and "The Top of Africa" is the name of the viewing platform at a height of 202 m which offers an impressive panoramic view of Johannesburg. The ground floor houses an ice skating rink and a shopping centre with 180 shops.
Other destinations in the city centre are the old City Hall and the ABSA Bank Tower with the world's largest mobile. The Constitution Hill Museum, the former prison, is also of interest to tourists. There are many museums in Johannesburg, for example the Beer Museum (SAB World of beer), the Jazz Walk of Fame, the Africa Museum, the KwaZulu Muti Museum of Art and Science or the Apartheid Museum and many others.
If you want to go on a very fine and expensive shopping tour, you should have a look around Mandela Square in the Sandton district. The markets Zasekhaya, Rosebank Rooftop Market and Market Square are also worth a visit and those who need a shopping mall should go to Oriental Plaza, 44 Stanley Avenue or the shopping mall Montecasino.
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If you want to visit Sowetho (South West Townships), which is about 15 km from Johannesburg, we recommend a tour with an experienced guide who will guide you safely through the township. However, crime is not everywhere here, some suburbs of Johannesburg with rich inhabitants are certainly much more exposed to crime. The city centre is monitored around the clock by the most modern cameras and those who do not take a walk at night in the Hillbrow district will experience Johannesburg as a colourful and exotic metropolis.
