Johannesburg, the economic powerhouse of Africa, was built on the history of gold - yet there is so much more to this multifaceted metropolis. Its fascinating character will be revealed, layer by layer, as you take in the must-see highlights mentioned below and, in so doing, come to a better understanding of the city’s complexities.
- Start in town on Loveday Street, between Commissioner and Fox Streets, at the magnificent Rand Club - which rivals the best gentlemen’s establishments London has to offer. Initiated by Cecil John Rhodes and Dr Hans Sauer, the original club opened its doors in 1887. Two years later it was rebuilt, and again in 1904.
- From here head for the Johannesburg Public Library on the corner of Simmonds and President Streets, and the old Post Office and Johannesburg City Hall on Rissik Street. These represent some of the best examples of grand colonial architecture in the city.
- Going northwest, make your way towards Newtown, which is at the heart of the rejuvenation of the inner city of Johannesburg. Based round Mary Fitzgerald Square, the area includes Museum Africa, the Bensusan Museum of Photography, and the Market Theatre in the restored Fresh Produce Market building; also the Workers Museum in the revamped Electricity Department Compound, the South African Breweries World of Beer, and numerous art galleries, craft shops and restaurants.
- The famous township of Soweto is a major highlight on any trip to Jozi (as Johannesburg is affectionately called). Take in the Kliptown development where the Freedom Charter was signed in 1955, and the Mofolo Art Centre where the work of some of South Africa’s best emerging talent can be viewed.
- The rest of your day can be spent in and around Vilikazi Street, the only street in the world that is home to two Nobel Peace Prize laureates: Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It is here, too, that the June 1976 Soweto Uprising erupted, and nearby is the fine Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial – honouring the youth-inspired revolution which led directly to the ending of racial discrimination.
- If you still have time, pop into the Apartheid Museum to gain a better understanding of South Africa’s struggle past. Afterwards, shake off your melancholy mood with a trip down a genuine gold mine shaft, followed by a fun look around Gold Reef City – a glitzy tribute to the gold-digging days of the early 1900s.
If cities are your thing, and you have a day to spare between games… be sure not to miss out on Cape Town.