The 16 things to do in Johannesburg

Visit Johannesburg: What are the best things to do and see in the most populous city of South Africa?

For those who know little or no South Africa , we usually talk about the city Cape Town to spend an excellent tourist stay but have you also thought of discovering another great city of the country, namely Johannesburg?

This city is 1800 meters above sea level: it develops at a high speed V, resembles Manhattan with its skyscraper.

Johannesburg also remains very marked by the Apartheid and there are still strong scars between a very dense city centre and residential suburbs that adjoin the huge townships like Soweto further south.

However, Joburg (the nickname of the city for lovers of Johannesburg) seduces: like the city of Los Angeles, it is possible to drive there all the time, there is no passage for pedestrians. A very wide city where you have to take your time to fervent because there seems to be a thousand things to discover. But what about Johannesburg? What do you do in this groubling and living city?

1. The Aparttheid museum

The Museum of Apartheid illustrates the rise and fall of the era of segregation and oppression in South Africa, and is a museum to be visited absolutely. Movies, texts, audio and explanations provide a paralysing insight into the architecture and implementation of the apartheid system, as well as inspiring stories of the struggle for democracy. The museum is of invaluable value to understand the inequalities and tensions that still exist today. It is located 8 km south of downtown, close to the M1 motorway.

The visit to the museum is an exciting experience; one of the pieces is particularly painful to see, in which 131 nodes are attached, representing the 131 opponents to the government who were executed under the anti-terrorist laws.

2. Newtown neighbourhood

It’s the cultural district of Johannesburg: you’ll find theatres there (including theatres) Market Theatre ), concerts in the various neighbourhood halls. The Newtown neighbourhood is recognizable with its small wooden statuettes with African twists that are found on the sidewalks. From this neighborhood, it is possible to reach the Nelson Mandela bridge that crosses the railway track to reach the centre. It is also here that we find the Museum Africa (photo).

3. Soweto

Tristly famous for being one of the townships of South Africa that has experienced clashes against Apartheid, this place remains extremely alive, mudling and constantly changing. It is in Soweto (South Western Township) that Nelson Mandela was born, that Desmond Tutu is also and nothing but to feel the spirit of these men but also to understand the daily lives of the inhabitants, Soweto must be discovered.

It is possible to go with a guide, to discover the lively neighbourhood life and to exchange with locals. You have the opportunity to visit the Hector Pieterson Museum , built by Nelson Mandela in 2002 and paying tribute to this young boy killed during the Soweto riots. You will also have the opportunity to stop near Freedom Square and stroll around the famous Vilikazi Street!

4. Nelson Mandela Square

It is located on the outskirts of Johannesburg, where most of the major hotel chains are located, but also banks and offices as well as a huge shopping centre. This neighborhood is Sandton City. On Place Nelson Mandela and in its surroundings, you can eat as you like in the different restaurants (pizzas, seafood, African food, etc...). Nelson Mandela's statue on the square imposes immense respect. A place not to be missed to breathe this singular atmosphere.

5. The botanical garden

To breathe in the heart of this bustling, noisy city, to take a break, the immense garden that works as a shelter in the heart of the city (near Emmarentia) welcomes many people. The garden has nearly 81 hectares of theme gardens, paved avenues for jogging and a dam, including a rose garden but it also houses works of art, statues, pergolas, fountains. Many water sports are practised here.

6. Arts on Main

It is a neighbourhood, a centre of art, which has been growing tremendously in recent years. A businessman decided to rehabilitate this neighborhood of Fox Street in the heart of Joburg to offer accommodation but also art galleries. Arts of Main is a clever mix between art and good restoration as well. Don’t forget to make your market on Sunday morning in an incredibly popular atmosphere or a picnic on the roof of a building by enjoying Ethiopian or Indian specialities.

7. Fashion District

This is the neighborhood where you have to go to buy fabric, to chiner recycled clothing, to drink a drink away from the bustle of the city. A unique place. To advise Fashion Shack, a coffee shop that will not leave you indifferent.

For fashion followers you can go to Bernberg Fashion Museum , which is not in this neighborhood. You will find an exhibition of the past two centuries on women’s fashion (at the corner of Duncombe Rd & Jan Smuts Avenue).

8. Wandie’s place

It was a former tripot where alcohol was sold at the time of Apartheid, it was also a gathering place, a place where we were discussing, where we were reflecting the world, where we were dancing and singing. Today, it is an excellent restaurant (situé 618 Makhalemele Street, Soweto) where you eat very well while listening to music, a band playing between the tables. A place where we still encounter the energy variable that drives the streets of Johannesburg.

9. Beer Museum (SAB World of Beer)

Maybe you don’t know, but South Africa is one of the world’s largest beer exporters! Indeed, nearly 200 different brands are produced in the country each year. To honour this contribution, a museum belonging to the South African Breweries (SAB, the oldest company in the country!) is now open to the public. You will discover the whole history of beer, its manufacturing process and you can even finish your visit with an excellent tasting of two beers to choose from in a recreated Victorian pub. The opportunity to make a one-hour trip through the history of local beer.

10. Neighbourgoods Market

In the middle of Johannesburg, this market is an initiative to redoubling the blazon of the heart of the city, which is why the population is encouraged to take possession of the place. This independent market takes place every Saturday morning whether it rains or not, and we do not sell local products but it is more a friendly place to eat a piece between friends or family, to make a brunch in weekends. See you at 73 Juta Street, Braamfontein.

11. Constitution Hill

Inspiring Constitution Hill is one of the most important attractions in the city. It offers travellers interested in modern South African history an integral understanding of the legal and historical consequences of the struggle against Apartheid. The visit focuses on the new Constitutional Court of South Africa, built in the ramparts of the Old Fort, which dates back to 1892 and was once a sadly famous prison, where many of the country’s highly mediated political activists, including Nelson Mandela and Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi, were detained.

12. The Johannesburg Art Gallery

The “JAG” has the largest collection of art in Africa and regularly alters its incredible collection of European works from the 17th and 18th century and figurative paintings, works of renowned South African painters and objects and retrospectives of traditional African black artists. The gallery is located on the side of Parc Joubert, which is best to avoid.

13. The farm Liliesleaf

Perhaps the most underestimated museum in the city, the Liliesleaf Farm or Liliesleaf Farm was the secret headquarters of the ANC ( African National Congress ) during the 1960s and reopened as a museum in June 2008. This well-organized complex tells the story of the fight for the liberation of South Africa through a series of high-tech and interactive exhibitions.

14. Wits Art Museum

Completed in May 2012, this modern museum is the first African art museum on the continent, with an extraordinary collection of 10,000 works and a dynamic programme of events and exhibitions. With its clean and modern lines, it will also appeal to architecture lovers.

15. Mary Fitzgerald Square

Named after the first female unionist in South Africa, this place is finally the best place to start a visit to the centre of Johannesburg. The square is lined with a row of heads, carved from old railway ties by Newtown artists, and is lined by the Jazz Walk of Fame , a kind of walk like Hollywood Boulevard that pays tribute to the most influential jazz musicians of South Africa. There is also a bronze sculpture in memory of Brenda Fassie, one of the most popular musicians in the country, who died in 2004.

16. Other visiting ideas in Johannesburg

Other places are still to be discovered by your desires in Joburg like the Gold Reef City which is an amusement park with interactive experiences or the Telkom Tower to observe the whole city from a panoramic point of view.

Finally, to rest and enjoy a little bobo atmosphere, why don’t you go stroll around Melville with its charity shops, cafés, bookshops?

How do I go to Johannesburg?

The OR Tambo International Airport, east of Johannesburg, is the main transport centre in South Africa. With a valid passport, it is relatively easy to enter South Africa. You will certainly be asked to present an exit ticket from the territory, such as your return ticket. To find the cheapest flight for your trip to South Africa, you can compare prices for flights on Ulysses .

Where to stay in Johannesburg?

From the city center rich in discoveries, to the plush Orange Grove, Johannesburg has several neighbourhoods where to stay . From an Airbnb apartment to large hotels, there are for all tastes. You can find a hotel at the best price by doing a search on this Compare hotels , specialist in local accommodation offers.