Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg
IntroFounded in 1886, when prospectors struck gold on a craggy ridge in the middle of an African grassland, Johannesburg was built by migrants who poured in from around the world to make their fortunes. Today, the City of Gold is as chaotic as it was 130 years ago and can be daunting for visitors, many of whom are just passing through on their way to somewhere else. However, the city’s rich history and vibrant arts scene is worth a stop – for one day or even several.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
7.307:30am, Walk In The Wilds – Joburg isn’t known for its natural beauty, but the city’s many beautiful parks are a well-kept secret – and The Wilds Municipal Nature Reserve is the most stunning among them. True to its name, the Wilds boasts graceful stone paths that meander through wild, indigenous vegetation, interrupted only by stunning public art pieces hiding among the trees. Several lookout points offer views of the iconic city skyline. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
8.308:30am, Breakfast At The Parks – Just northwest of the city centre is a jumble of quaint, tree-lined neighbourhoods (called “suburbs” in South Africa). The suburbs of Parkhurst, Parktown North and Parkview – collectively known as “the Parks” – are all walkable and offer great breakfast options. My favourite is Croft & Co in Parkview, which serves mouth-watering scrambled eggs and is always packed with locals chatting over cappuccinos. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
9.309:30am, Hop On The Red Bus – Riding a double-decker tourist bus through town may seem cliché, but in Johannesburg – where public transport is scarce, driving is daunting, and the history of the city is difficult to digest – the CitySightseeing Bus is a great way to get around town while learning about Joburg’s history and sights. Starting in Rosebank, the red bus winds through the city’s leafy northern suburbs and straight through the cacophonous inner city, then south to the popular Apartheid Museum and into Soweto, all while offering audio commentary in 15 languages. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
10.3010:30am, History Lessons At Constitution Hill – A main stop on the CitySightseeing Bus, Constitution Hill is the best place in Joburg to absorb South Africa’s complicated history. Constitution Hill is the former site of Joburg’s Old Fort Prison, a military-fort-turned-jail where thousands of prominent political activists – including Nelson Mandela – were held during the apartheid era. Today Constitution Hill is home to the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa, as well as an informative museum and numerous works of public art. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
1 pm1:00pm, Check Out The Wits Art Museum – Also in Braamfontein, the Wits Art Museum, or WAM (part of the University of the Witwatersrand) offers brilliant exhibitions featuring top African artists. Exhibitions rotate every few months and are expertly curated. Admission to WAM is free, and the museum adjoins a fantastic café (unfortunately closed on weekends). WAM is closed on Sundays and Mondays. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
2pm2:00pm, Visit The Top Of Africa – The 50-floor Carlton Centre, easy to visit on the CitySightseeing bus route, is currently the tallest building in Africa. Its top-floor viewing deck, called the “Top of Africa”, offers fantastic 360-degree views of Joburg and its surrounds – from the far reaches of Soweto in the south, to the Magaliesberg Mountains in the north. Don’t mind the viewing deck’s dusty windows, which somehow make the photos more atmospheric. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
3.303:30pm, Chocolate And Shopping – 44 Stanley Avenue is an old industrial complex converted into a hip collection of shops and cafés; it’s a great place to shop for local fashion and grab a coffee or bite to eat. If you eat only one thing in 44 Stanley, make it a plate of chocolate from Chocoloza. Owner Vicky Bain is a South African who trained as a chocolatier in Belgium – her creations make me weak in the knees. Chocoloza also serves the best hot chocolate in town. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
55:00pm, Sunset On Melville’s 7th Street – Melville is Joburg’s wackiest suburb, its main drag attracting a diverse mix of artists, journalists, tourists and students from all over the world. 7th Street is known for its overflowing second-hand shops, its quirky used bookstore, and its ever-changing line-up of restaurants and bars. For happy hour and snacks, try Hell’s Kitchen, a rock-’n’-roll bar with its own brand of cinnamon-infused whiskey, or Mootee Bar, which serves avant-garde cocktails inspired by muti, or traditional African medicine. (Note: Melville has more B&Bs than any other suburb and is a quick ride from both downtown and the northern suburbs, making it the perfect place to sleep in Joburg.) [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
77:00pm, Dinner And Jazz – The Roving Bantu Kitchen is a uniquely Joburgian institution: part restaurant, part jazz club, part political salon and part dive bar. Located in Brixton, the Kitchen is named for its owner, Sifiso Ntuli, who called himself “the Roving Bantu” during his years in political exile. Sifiso and his wife, Ashley, serve delicious, home-cooked South African food – think beef stew, curry, maize-meal porridge and the occasional sheep’s head – and often host local jazz performances. [Photo: Heather Mason]
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
ReadRead Before You Go – Lauren Beukes’ sci-fi novel Zoo City portrays post-apartheid Johannesburg in near post-apocalyptic terms. The story is set in Hillbrow, a neighbourhood known for crime, where criminals are “animalled” – burdened with an animal that somehow mimics their character. Zoo City perfectly illustrates Joburg’s chaos and weirdness – the legacies of a gold-mining town in a constant state of transformation.
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Travel
24 Hours In… Johannesburg.
HeatherHeather Mason is an American blogger based in Johannesburg. She moved from Washington, D.C. to Joburg in 2010, abandoning her old life as a suburbanite office-dweller for a new life as a bohemian freelancer. Heather named her blog 2Summers, because she experienced two summers in a row while switching hemispheres. Her recent book, The 2Summers #Gauteng52 Challenge, explores 52 unusual places in Gauteng province, of which Johannesburg is the capital. [Photo: Gail Wilson]
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