Johannesburg

💡 About Johannesburg

Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and economic powerhouse, is a sprawling, energetic and endlessly fascinating metropolis born from gold. Founded in 1886 when the world's richest gold deposits were discovered here, it exploded from empty grassland into a great city in just a few decades, earning the local name eGoli — the City of Gold.

Joburg, as it is known, is the beating heart of modern South Africa, a place of raw energy, reinvention and startling contrasts between wealth and poverty. Once carved up by the brutal system of apartheid, the city has been transforming itself, and its story is one of struggle, resilience and hope.

The city is the essential place to understand South Africa's history. The powerful Apartheid Museum tells the story of the nation's darkest era, while the township of Soweto — home to Nelson Mandela and the epicentre of the anti-apartheid struggle — offers a moving and inspiring insight into the fight for freedom.

Surprisingly green, with more trees than almost any other city its size, and increasingly hip with revitalised arts districts like Maboneng, Johannesburg is a city on the move. It is also the gateway to the wildlife of the nearby Kruger region.

⭐ Known For