Johannesburg: 5 Can't Miss Things To-Do
Johannesburg, fondly known as “Jozi” or “Joburg” by locals, is the biggest city in South Africa. It is a diverse city made up of vibrant neighborhoods, where different cultures interact as one community. It gained it’s reputation as the “City of Gold” due to the gold rush in 1886 with the discovery of gold.
Jozi is melting pot of events, eateries, botanical gardens and historical sites for travelers to immerse themselves in. The local flavor and vibrancy is felt from the moment you touch down at O.R Tambo International airport, where you are greeted warmly with words like “Sawubona” -which is a greeting in Zulu, a local South African language.
Like any typical city in Africa, Jozi is a concrete jungle filled with city noises, women selling their fresh produce and meals on the side of roads and men selling artifacts at traffic lights. To assist with transportation around the city, Uber, Taxify and Bolt are just an app click away to get you to your destination.
Jozi is more than just the Aparteid Museum & Mandela House – in fact, it has all kinds of activities that would appeal to travelers. There is a very strong art community, nature gardens for hiking addicts and a vibrant night life.
Here are a few off the beaten path things that shouldn’t be missed when coming through Joburg….
Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens
For the nature lovers, Jozi has a number of botanical gardens around the city, one of which is the Walter Sisulu Botanical Garden. It was established in July 1982, and is therefore considered one of the youngest gardens in South Africa. It was named after one of South Africa’s anti-apartheid heroes, who was a political prisoner at Robben Island and served more than 25 years before his release.
The botanical garden, recognized as one of the most beautiful in the world, spans about 300 hectares, which is made up of a landscaped garden and natural vegetation. The garden is also home to famous Verreaux's eagles that nest in the Roodekrans ridge which intersects with the reserve and is a welcome sight for bird lovers. While walking through the garden, you are treated to different types of gardens, rockeries and arboretum.
A hike through the gardens will take you through the Rocky Highveld Grasslands, dense bushes, streams and a habitat containing over 600 plant species. Your hike can end with refreshments and a meal.
Lesedi Cultural Village
South Africa is internationally known as culturally diverse country with a number of tribes. Lesedi Cultural Village was created to celebrate these tribes and honor their beautiful clothing, homes and practices. The people of South Africa hold their culture very close to their hearts and it is at the core of who they are.
The cultural village is located within the Cradle of Humankind just outside of Johannesburg and contains homesteads for the Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Basotho and Ndebele tribes. These homesteads are occupied by members of these tribes who live in accordance with the traditions of their ancestors.
Upon entry into the cultural village, you are greeted by traditional buildings painted with the vibrant colors of the mentioned tribes, a flea market filled with traditional arts & crafts, and members of the tribes eager to welcome you to their home – and you will immediately get a sense of Africa in it’s yester years.
The tour of the cultural village begins inside a traditional African thatched hut where each tribe shows off their talents through song and dance. You begin to feel the true essence of Africa as the show begins with drums beating and women dressed in colourful and beaded outfits while the men are covered in animal prints and feathers, carrying their shields and swords. They proudly demonstrate their war dances from each tribe with explanation of what the dances represent.
At the end of the war dances, a tour guide begins the journey with you through the homesteads of each tribe where real members of the tribes live. At each stop of the homestead, the tour guide explains the history of the tribe and how the homestead was created. You are allowed to enter their homes, listen to their stories and gain some understanding of how they live.
Each homestead is a genuine representation of the tribes built with materials of what would have been available historically. For a daily fee, visitors are allowed to experience the tribal village accommodation which contains modern day luxuries of furniture and comforts inside each hut.
After having worked up an appetite from the tour of all the homesteads, visitors are treated to an African feast, which is made up of traditional food from a potjiekos which is meat cooked inside a black cast-iron pot and accompanied by a starch called samp (maize). Visitors are also spoilt for choice between game meat like kudu, warthog or for the less brave, steak or chicken. Whatever your taste buds may be in the mood for, you are assured to receive a genuine African meal.
While digging into your meal, you will be surrounded by beautiful art, and the warmth of the African experience. Lesedi cultural village provides visitors with a unique experience of several tribes in one venue, a day of cultural immersion and a feast fit for Kings and Queens.
Maboneng Precinct
For the art lovers, Maboneng is a district in central Johannesburg where artists meet and share their creativity at restaurants, side cafes, boutiques, galleries and studios for art events. The name Maboneng means “Place of Light” in seSotho, another local language of South Africa.
This artistic urban centre is a chic neighbourhood which was revamped to bring vibrancy back to the inner city and attracts local and international tourists. The district contains eateries which would appeal to all taste buds like fusion sushi, gourmet burgers and traditional South African food. Young working professionals also enjoy visiting the Precinct for after-hours cocktails and live music.
One of the Precinct’s main attraction is Arts on Main which is a market every Sunday and provides a diverse variety of food from differently nationalities such as South American to Asian to Middle Eastern. Vogue referred to Arts on Main as the “Cultural Hub of Maboneng” which is quite befitting considering the variety of activities and cuisine it provides.
An absolute must is the Rooftop Salsa in the Maboneng Precinct which is a social event on Sunday afternoons, no dance skills required. It is a fun event for couples and singles looking for love to join in the dancing while watching the beautiful African sunset. The owner of Rooftop Salsa aimed to bring salsa dancing to South Africa by sharing his love for the dance art and music with locals and tourists.
Bird Watching at Montecasino
Montecasino is an entertainment centre in the heart of northern Joburg filled with hotels, gaming, restaurants, theaters and a vibrant casino. It is a centre which caters to families, couples and singles who are looking for some fun, away from the busy city life. One of its offerings is a bird sanctuary which is considered the only of its kind in Africa. It is home to 60 species of birds, reptiles and small animals – and will keep any animal lover busy for hours. In addition, the sanctuary is a host to a puff adder and black mamba as well as to a sloth and lemur.
These beautiful animals live within a garden, which is also home to 500 plants from 37 species and also includes an encephalartos middelburgensis plant. It is rumored to the oldest surviving plant within the garden.
After a relaxing time in the bird sanctuary, you can treat yourself to a comedy show at Montecasino or a live production at the Teatro which often showcases some of the best dramas, musicals and dance shows.
Walk Through History at the Wits Origins Centre
The Wits Origins Centre is located on the campus of the University of the Witwatersand in Joburg (or “Wits” as it’s called by locals) and is a museum which honors mankind’s walk through history. The centre was opened in 2006 by former South African President Thabo Mbeki and has become a popular venue for history buffs.
It has collected evidence of ancient stone tools and artefacts with symbolic and spiritual significance to the people of Africa. The centre’s rock art collection from the Rock Art Research Institute is really extensive and boasts some of the richest visual heritage of South Africa. This rich collection of history spans over two million years of human kind and showcases some of the culture, language and trans-inducing ceremonies of the San people. The centre offers audio guides and are available in six languages which are Zulu, Sotho, English, Afrikaans, French and German. A tour of the centre truly gives you a sense of mankind’s history of who we are and where we came from.
Whether you are a nature lover, cultural enthusiast or dancer, Jozi has a wide variety of exciting activities and events for any tourist. Jozi always welcomes visitors with a warm smile, kiss from the African sun and a hug from its vibrancy.