Johannesburg Facts

City Center

Johannesburg's City Center is a vibrant juxtaposition of the first and the third world. The central part of Jo'burg (as it is known among locals), whose tall skyscrapers stand as a reminder of a previous era of commerce, has been returned to Africa. Most businesses have migrated to the northern suburbs, transforming downtown into a cacophony of African hawkers and traders who line the grids of streets in a colorful profusion. Vendors display shiny fruits and vegetables, young women scoop out pap (maize) and sauce, and Indian merchants sell brightly-colored clothing. The crime rate in this area is high, so visitors are encouraged to take sensible precautions: walk in a group, don't...

..., with its heady blend of First and Third worlds, is the most exhilarating city in Africa. Sprawling outward from the center of Gauteng, South Africa's smallest and most densely populated province, it is the ideal springboard from which to explore the animal-rich nature reserves that lie beyond its business-driven borders. And while its reputation as a crime hub is justified, there's no denying that the city itself is a drawing card: A nexus of social change, Jo'burg is the economic heart of Africa, where the continent's major financial deals are struck; a throbbing urban metropolis that is home to a socially vibrant, steadily growing, sassy African elite, and -- with up to 1,000 people moving...