Johannesburg

#Johannesburg Johannesburg is the financial capital of South Africa and capital of the Gauteng Province. It lies ±1 800m above sea-level. South Africans call the city by various names: Egoli ("place of gold" in Sotho and title of a popular tv soap set in the city), Goudstad ("gold city" in Afrikaans) and Jozi, Joéés or Joburg (sotho, Afrikaans & English slang).

##The city built on gold As some of the above names hint the city's existence has everything to do with the discovery of gold in 1886 in the then Zuid-Afrikaanse Republiek, which led to a huge gold-rush. An area that up to 1886 even farmers avoided, grew by 1900 - a mere 14 years later - into a bustling world city with more than 115 000 inhabitants. The Witwatersrand Gold Reef is the richest gold field in the world and the precious metal plays a vital role in the country's economy.

##Modern Johannesburg Today Johannesburg is the economical powerhouse of the whole African continent. The built up city, complete with skyscrapers and surrounding gold mine dumps, has a population of 3.2 million (2001 Census). If you include a host of smaller municipalities that form part of greater Johannesburg, such as Randburg, Kempton Park, Edenvale, Sandton and Rosebank, that figure grows to ±8 million (2001 Census). The Johannesburg and Pretoria Metropoles border each other and together could be seen as a mega-city of nearly 15 million people (estimate). Johannesburg is twinned with / sister city to Birmingham (England) and New York in the USA. It is one of just a few major cities that is not located next to a river, major body of water or the ocean. In fact, a substantial volume of the water it consumes is channeled and piped to the city from 500km away - from the Tugela-Vaal and Lesotho Highlands Water Schemes to the south.

##City Centre (where the 1st & 3d worlds meet) Judging by its cityscape from a distance you may be forgiven for thinking of Johannesburg as a modern western city. It is indeed , with clear characteristics of the developed world, however it is very much third world as well. The heart of this city is African. As you enter the city you'll bump into peoples from all over Africa, you'll see pavement stalls selling everything from shoes to fruit, open air barber shops, gazillions of minibus taxis and open air markets with goods from across the continent.

In a typical city tour you'll get to inspect a muti-shop (shop dealing in traditional medicines) shortly after viewing the city from the top floor of the modern 50-storey concrete Carlton Centre. The contrast and dynamism between the first and third world, both well represented in the same city, is what makes Jozi such an interesting experience.

##Northern Suburbs Most of the northern suburbs, as it is known, actually consist of separate municipalities that sprouted from, or where swallowed up by the sprawling cosmopolis that is Johannesburg. Today they still retain the status of separate municipalities, but fall under the overall management of the Johannesburg Metropolis (similar to New York and London's boroughs). While central Johannesburg is caught up in a constant battle against decay the northern suburbs represent opportunity, money, power and growth.

The northern suburbs is a good place to base yourself when exploring greater Johannesburg and even Pretoria, which lies not too far to the north of Johannesburg. For tourists Sandton and Rosebank probably offer the best mix of top class hotels, shopping centres, attractions and access to main transport arteries.

##Soweto Soweto (SOuth WEstern TOwnship) is the largest township in South Africa and rich in historical importance. It is and was home, at one point or another, to three Nobel Peace Prize winners - Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and Albert Luthuli. In 1976 a schools uprising started in Soweto, against Apartheid measures forced on black schools, became a turning point in the so-called Struggle (against Apartheid).

Today Soweto is a melting pot of South African cultures and others from across Africa. A tour to Soweto will not only introduce you to its rich historical heritage, but will also introduce you to a vibrant contemporary township culture - a mixture of grit, determination, joy and often great hardship.

##Much more to Johannesburg There is of course much more to Johannesburg that what we’ve covered here. The city and surrounds could keep you busy for months on end. Peruse our city and day tours section if you’re interested in exploring the city.