An insider view on how to explore the “Jozi” in South African like a local
As the Southern Africa bureau chief for Reuters, I’ve led the coverage of all kinds of news in the region, from political twists and turns in South Africa to a debt crisis in Zambia, a growing insurgency in Mozambique and oil and gas finds in Namibia.
Reuters hired me in 2010 to cover commodities and mining – an exciting beat, given Southern Africa’s role as a major exporter of minerals. Later I became an economics correspondent before taking on my current role.
Johannesburg – or “Jozi,” as South Africa’s economic hub is known to its residents – has a history rooted in the late 19th century Gold Rush. The inner city is now mostly rundown, with dilapidated buildings marking the skyline after a majority of big firms moved to the trendy financial district of Sandton. But the city’s irresistible metropolitan vibe is intact.
For visitors, here’s my advice:
Heart of the city: A popular tourist attraction in downtown Johannesburg is The Maboneng Precinct – an old manufacturing district transformed to what is now a centre of creativity with a mix of art galleries and studios, shops, restaurants, coffee shops, and bars, as well as residential and offices space. Maboneng is a Sesotho word that means “place of light”.
Further out: North of Johannesburg is Sandton, considered to be the richest square-mile in Africa, with high-end hotels, dining, shopping, and conference centres for business visitors. In the heart of Sandton is Nelson Mandela Square – the centre of fine dining and home to a famous, huge statue of the late anti-apartheid leader. Sandton is also home to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Getting around: Johannesburg streets are thronged with minibus taxi drivers ignoring all traffic rules in their small vans that can carry more than a dozen passengers. They charge much less than metered taxis and are operated by private individuals. Moving through the city is much easier if you can hire a car, though obviously pricier.
E-hailing services like Uber as well as metered taxis are good options for visitors, as is rail service. Gautrain, a high-speed train, serves commuters to and from O.R. Tambo International Airport. A Gautrain ride from the airport to Johannesburg costs 230 rand ($13).
Eats: Johannesburg residents call it iKota. It’s a sandwich tower made of a hollowed-out quarter-loaf of bread, stuffed with a host of fillings like chips, polony (cold processed meat), cheese, a burger patty, fried egg, atchar (mango pickle) and a sausage called a “Russian” because it was introduced to South Africa by Russian immigrants.
The word “kota” is a township slang pronunciation of a “quarter” loaf of bread, and the sandwich’s history is rooted in the apartheid legacy. Because of the racial segregation laws under apartheid, Black mineworkers were not allowed to order food in many restaurants. As such, women would prepare the sandwiches at home for the men to take to work.
You can find Kota in locally owned restaurants in townships including Bathokoa Kasi Food in Riverlea, Johannesburg, and Kota King in Protea Glen, Soweto.
It’s messy, so be prepared. Prices range from 12 rand ($0.63) to 100 rand ($5.26), depending on the type of fillings.
Arts: South Africa has a rich music and dance culture, which for the Black majority population dates back to the years under apartheid when music and dance became a vehicle for political expression and resistance.
Trending now in Johannesburg is Amapiano, a genre that fuses styles such as house, jazz, and Afro House. Johannesburg-based Grammy winner DJ Black Coffee is a notable South African house and dance artist. Visitors can enjoy performances by South African artists and DJs at locally organised music festivals as well as at lounges, bars and nightclubs spread across the city. I’ve enjoyed the music at “Joburg Day” – an annual event with a lineup of mostly local artists. The last one was held in September.
Culture: Visitors can take in historic sites such as the Apartheid Museum in Ormonde or the Soweto township, where some of the country’s political battles during apartheid were fought. Popular in Soweto is Vilakazi Street, where Nobel Peace Prize winners Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both once lived. The township is about 25 km (15 miles) southwest of Johannesburg.
Guided tours are recommended to fully appreciate the rich history of Johannesburg, and particularly Soweto.
Trails: I like hiking, and Gauteng province – where Johannesburg is located – has several trails to enjoy. One of my favourites in Gauteng is Hennops, which has an easier 2 km route good for young children and a 5 km one for hikers without much experience. I also travel to the neighbouring North West province, which has a challenging trail situated on the southern slope of the Magaliesberg mountain range at a place known as Rustig. I’m ashamed to admit the trail had me crawling halfway to the top of a mountain, and I have yet to return to it! But I would recommend it for hikers who enjoy a challenge.
Flora & Fauna: In the neighbouring provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, one can visit the Kruger National Park, South Africa’s largest national park, to see the “Big Five” wild animals – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. Entry to Kruger for international visitors is 486 rand ($28) per adult. Guided game drives, which I recommend, also come at a fee, which varies depending on the time of the drive.
With over 6 million trees, Johannesburg also boasts the largest man-made forest in the world.
Faux pas: Johannesburg residents speak one or more of the 11 South African official languages. If you struggle to pronounce local names for people, I would recommend that you politely acknowledge the difficulties you have in pronouncing the names, rather than using made-up nicknames you find easier to pronounce, which some people find offensive.
Safety tip: I recommend travelling light when visiting the inner city of Johannesburg. Take only what is needed such as some cash and a mobile phone, but keep them out of sight, secured in a bag or purse. Avoid putting your valuables in back pockets where thieves can easily reach for them.
Misconceptions: The weather is not always warm. Temperatures drop during the May to August winter months to below freezing. (Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo/Reuters)
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