Why visit the Golden City, Johannesburg?
If Johannesburg is your destination or your stop-over town, Acacia’s 3 or 4 Day tour will make it worthwhile. Joburg, or ‘Joey’s as the locals say, has qualities unique to its historical, political and cultural heritage. There is a constant ‘vibe’ present throughout the metropolitan hub. From edgy street art all around the cities walls and old buildings to new age architectural dream skyscrapers making it the business center of South Africa. Not to mention the food, the glorious flavours of food: from humble street vendors to fine dining watching a cityscape sunset. Johannesburg has a vibrant nightlife with endless restaurants, bars and events to keep one amused for days. Most intriguing about Johannesburg is the friendly demeanour of the city folk, known to be the friendlier more engaging of cities in comparison to Cape Town and Durban
These attractions will give you even more reason to visit:
A city within a city. Johannesburg’s famous South West Township, which was home to both Noble Peace Prize Winners, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This township was formed during the Apartheid era when black, coloured and Malay citizens were relocated by the racially prejudiced government. Soweto is now a thriving area of Johannesburg, with numerous landmarks depicting the struggle of fighting for one’s rights in their own country. Through the years this township has developed from overpopulated shanty ‘shacks’, poverty and oppression into a bustling new trendy town area welcoming a sense of community and celebration of freedom. Soweto is rich in history and monuments such as the culturally colourful Vilakazi Street, Mandela House and Museum, the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial – where tribute is paid to the infamous Soweto Uprising of 1976. Along with many heritage sites, Soweto is a place where one can interact on a grass-roots level, meet locals and get a taste and feel of past and current life in the townships of South Africa. Tourism interaction is welcomed, this highlighted attraction will likely be guided by a local ‘born and bred’ Sowetan, taking you to the depths of the shanty past and into the bright future of South Africa.
Apartheid Museum
For travellers wanting to gain some understanding of where South Africa has been in terms of the struggle and racial oppression to its new found hope and constant strive for equality and freedom. The Museum will illustrate all that has shaped and given life to South Africa’s tumultuous political history, the rise and fall of Apartheid, with the timeline from 1948 to present day. Portrayed through different mediums; art, photographs, film, artefacts, text panels and more. Being an excellent example of architecture, spacial design and stunning landscape, the first museum of its kind is a top attraction in Johannesburg.
Cradle of Humankind
Renowned as the place where humankind originated, it is only fitting that one would put this on top of the list of places to visit while in Johannesburg. As one of the eight World Heritage sites in South Africa, this attraction boasts 13 sites, where visitors are taken on a trip back some 3.5 million years ago by viewing fossils, stone tools and more. The protected area spans 47 000 hectares and in this region, multiple caves, namely the Sterkfontein Caves which are linked to the discovery of gold in the 1880’s are within. These caves are a must-see and home to Mrs Ples and Little Foot; the earliest human ancestral fossils ever found. This a fun filled day outing, interactive and informative, an iconic reason to visit Johannesburg.
Blog is written by Roxy Kruger
Images by Saba Lodge (MoAfrika Lodge) Johannesburg)