Travelling to Johannesburg, South Africa
Revitalized Johannesburg lures in a new generation of tourists.
As with any announcement of an upcoming holiday to some far-off land, questions like “where exactly in (insert country here) are you going?” follow – trailed, inevitably, by a retelling of someone else’s last trip there. When visiting South Africa, however, this isn’t the case – especially when you say you’re going to Johannesburg.
“Why on earth?” was the most common reaction. “But you’re going straight to Cape Town after you land, right?” was a close second. I may as well have declared that I was going to live in Arkansas for a year.
Truth be told, we did manage to see a good chunk of the country in three weeks: the remoteness of the Wild Coast, the somewhat-overrated Garden Route, the odd-but-beautiful landscape of Cape Town, the Big Five of Kruger National Park. But besides all the wildlife and scenery, the thing that surprised me most was how utterly wrong everyone was about the country’s largest city.
Joburg, as it’s commonly called, is located in the Gauteng (pronounced “how-teng”) province. It is often proclaimed, without substantiation, to be one of the most dangerous cities on the planet, and based on early Internet research and horror stories from friends, I also expected my snot to turn black from the pollution and get mugged at an ATM. But upon arriving at O.R. Tambo International Airport, I see only lush greenery, winding streets being navigated by sensible drivers and blue skies above. Not a bad first impression.
We’re in Johannesburg to visit my sister, a lawyer who chose human rights over corporate law and is now working on Constitution Hill, home to South Africa’s constitutional court. Built atop the notorious Old Fort Prison Complex, where Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were once detained, it has served as a court since 2004. Our guided tour of the prison reveals the country’s long history of racial segregation and political corruption. From an old diary belonging to Mandela to the hierarchical layout of a room in the horrific Number Four block for black men (“big bosses” slept farthest away from the open toilet, which was only emptied once a week), Constitution Hill is eye-opening and, surprisingly, heartening when one considers how far the country has come in just 20-odd years.
On our first night in Joburg, we attend a braai, or a barbecue, before heading home around 9:30 p.m. That’s one thing I notice: people sleep, and wake up, early in South Africa, at least in their summer. The next morning, after waking up at 6:30, we head out to explore one of Joburg’s cultural districts. Once a series of industrial buildings, 44 Stanley Avenue now houses 25 independent cafés, fashion boutiques and modern design studios. The area is so quaint I feel like I’m in a small European town, save for the lilting accent of the locals around me. It’s all very lekker, a Dutch word signifying some combination of lovely, cool and tasty.
After popping our heads into a few stores and snacking on rusks (short, biscotti-type snacks) and coffee, we get back in the car and head to Sandton, a newer business district. At one of the malls there, I buy a souvenir T-shirt with the Joburg skyline screen-printed over a razor blade, and we head outside, where an oddly proportioned statue of Mandela overlooks a fountain. In fact, Mandela is everywhere in Joburg, from the Nelson Mandela Bridge to the Mandela Family Museum, signalling the impact of his anti-apartheid activism and presidency and, ultimately, the country’s positive outlook for a peaceful, unified future.
Weather
June through August in Joburg is rainy, but temperatures rarely dip below zero. Summers (October through March) are long and sunny.
Best bed
The Westcliff is one of the most prestigious hotels in Joburg, with a beautiful terrace restaurant and infinity pool overlooking the city. westcliff.co.za
Best meal
The Melville Café, in the eponymous Bohemian suburb, serves Mozambican prawns cooked in a delicious buttery peri-peri sauce. Seven Street at Melville.
Can’t miss
Take a guided bicycle tour through Soweto, which features the Mandela Family Museum and the current residence of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
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