Uncovering johannesburg

The largest and one of the most cosmopolitan cities in South Africa, Johannesburg's reputation as the ‘crime capital' of the country has ensured that the majority of tourists merely use it as a jumping-off point to the wild coasts and animals hundreds of miles away - but what does the city itself have to offer?..

The onetime gold mining town has grown up. Modern day Johannesburg is now South Africa's commercial Centre and offers an eclectic range of theatres, restaurants and culture.

But, the city is also facing some well publicised demons - most prominently a reputation for crime that precedes it to such an extent that many visitors adopt a fly in-fly straight out approach and don't sample the city's offerings.

More than 5,000 murders are committed in Gauteng Province (Johannesburg and neighbouring Pretoria) each year, and there are at least twice as many rapes. Many residents exist behind razor wire fences, their homes turned into veritable fortresses. Car hijackings are also commonplace at traffic lights.

If Johannesburg is the crime capital of South Africa, then Hillbrow is the crime capital of Johannesburg. Notorious for murders and muggings, it should be avoided at night.  

There are few hotels in the Centre of the city and the vast majority of visitor accommodation is based in the satellite towns around the city.

You may well ask whether living in Jo'burg is really worth the hassle and it's a question Jo'burg locals, who adore the eclectic cultural pursuits and cosmopolitan vibe, would answer with a resounding yes.

The level of crime is also steadily improving thanks to the city's new Metro Police force and the security cameras on almost every street corner.

Nicknamed ‘Egoli' by the locals, which means the place of gold, the fear of crime had made the old city Centre no longer desirable, so the real financial and business heart is now 20km to the north, in the gleaming new towers of Sandton.

However, Jo'burg is undergoing something of a renaissance -which is nothing new - since its foundation in 1886, the city has been completely rebuilt four times in just over a century.

One of the major attempts the city has made at revitalizing downtown is the Market Theatre Complex, which is home to the South African Breweries Museum, Workers Museum and MuseumAfrica - the latter charts the progress of the city from pre gold rush days through to the apartheid era.

The township experience, which allows visitors to experience what life is like in one of Johannesburg's many sprawling townships - once known as shanties or slums - is a popular tourist trail.

Probably the best known one is Soweto, which is a monument to the fall of apartheid and a growing vibrant Black South African scene. Soweto was originally designed as a place to house Black mine workers and Blacks that served the Whites as workers and domestic help.

Soweto and its encompassed regions cover 120 square kilometers and is home unofficially to four million people. Take an organized tour with guides rather than attempting to go it alone.

On the outskirts of the city, there are beautiful parks and nature reserves and the Cradle of Humankind, where the remains of the first humans were found, is well worth visiting.