Tag: Johannesburg

Johannesburg: City of Contrast

Posted on by Trisha Cornelius

Johannesburg is a city of vast contrasts. In today’s post, I am going to highlight the contrast between some of Jozi’s trendy urban areas that have been the subject of some inner city rejuvenation with some of the tranquil outdoor areas found in and around Joburg.

The Johannesburg CBD (central business district) did suffer a decline during the nineties and the first half of the naughties, it has been undergoing a revival, including the mixed-use urban precincts, Maboneng (One of the twelve coolest urban areas in the World according to Forbes) and the Grove in Braamfontein. Both of these areas offer you the chance to get some delicious coffee, sample some amazing food and explore parts of Joburg on foot in a safe, vibrant area. Close by is Newtown, Jozi’s cultural hub, it is home to theatres (including the Market Theatre, which was dubbed the “Theatre of the Struggle” ), more art galleries, as well as the Museum Africa. From the second half of the nineties, a large number of corporates have moved their business headquarters out of the Johannesburg CBD and into Sandton, including the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and it is regarded to be the financial hub of Africa.  Joburg is also home of Soweto, an important historical part of South Africa. If you visit the area you can walk along Vilakazi street, which was home to Nobel Laureates President Nelson Mandela and Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu. Soweto also houses a number of museums.

The Witpoortjie Falls at the Walter Sisulu Botanical GardensIf you are looking to escape from the business of the city, Jozi is the home of two botanical gardens: The Johannesburg Botanical Gardens and the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens. The centrepiece of the Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens is the Witpoortjie Falls which is also the nesting site for a pair of urban Verreaux’s eagles.

Outside the city limits, you can visit the UNESCO World Heritage site the Cradle of Humankind, the world’s richest hominin site where around 40% of the world’s human ancestor fossils have been found, including homo Naledi. The Cradle of Humankind complex features over 40 sites the majority of which are not open two the public, but the Cradle features two main tourist attractions, Maropeng and the Sterkfontein Caves. Maropeng offers a beautifully designed paleoanthropological visitor’s centre which features a series of interactive exhibits about the history of the planet, the beginnings of life and the story of humanity’s origins. Visitors two the Sterkfontein Caves can take guided walks through the caves and see some older excavation sites.

We hope that you will get the opportunity to explore our beautiful city when you come to WordCamp JHB 18.

Places to visit around Johannesburg

Posted on by Trisha Cornelius

This is the first of a series of posts where we are going to boast a bit about our lovely city of Johannesburg and hopefully convince you to join us in our summer towards the end of October. If you are a WordPress user, designer or developer coming from outside of South Africa, this is an excellent opportunity because there is WordCamp Johannesburg on 25 – 26 October and WordCamp Cape Town a week later.

Johannesburg was established as a mining rush town in 1886 (and while the first government believed that the city would be short-lived as gold ran out) Jozi is now home to over 7 million people within the vast metropolis. Joburg has grown to become the country’s economic capital; it is a vibrant city influenced by a large number of cultures. If you have a limited amount of time in Jozi, one of the best ways to experience some of the sights is using the Johannesburg City Sightseeing bus which allows you to hop on and off a number of stops:

  • Constitution Hill: Is a living museum that tells the story of South Africa’s journey to democracy. The seat of South Africa’s Constitutional Court and the home to the Constitutional Court art collection.
  • Johannesburg Zoo: Founded in 1904 the zoo covers 55 hectares of land and is divided into thematic exhibits.
  • South African Military Museum: Our gracious hosts for WordCamp Johannesburg last year the South African military museum showcases the history of all military conflict in which South African’s have played a part.
  • Mining district outdoor mining museum: As you walk through this open-air museum you will be able to see some statues and sculptures, as well as a mining stamp mill and mine’s headgear.
  • Carlton Centre: Africa’s tallest building boasts spectacular views of the city.
  • James Hall Transport Museum: South Africa’s largest land transport museum boasts an extensive collection of vehicles including animal-drawn vehicles from the earliest days of Johannesburg, bicycles, fire-engines, cars, steam-driven vehicles, trams and trolley buses.
  • Gold Reef City Casino and Theme park: The hotel and theme park offers rides as well as a historical tour and an underground mine tour.
  • The Apartheid Museum: Built to resemble the prison-like conditions of Robben Island the museum offers interactive displays, film footage and historic photos depicting Apartheid South Africa and the country’s transition to democracy.
  • SAB World of Beer: An interactive tour that allows you to explore the history of beer and gives one access to the Sci-Bono Museum: A science centre featuring over 400 exhibits, and the Workers’ Museum:  This museum is housed in an old renovated building and is one of the original compounds built by the city for migrant workers.
  • The Origins Centre at Wits: The Origins Centre forms part of the University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Science and is the world’s only museum dedicated to exploring the history of humankind.
  • The Grove, Braamfontein: The Grove is one of the precincts in the Joburg Central Business District that provides evidence of the city’s rejuvenation. This contemporary space offers excellent coffee shops, street art and the latest fashions.

This is a tiny taste of the many attractions that Jozi has to offer, and there are more posts to come to entice you to visit us in sunny South Africa.