Johannesburg
Johannesburg, also known as eGoli (place of gold), is the largest and most populous city in South Africa. The city is affectionately known as Jo'burg, Jozi and JHB by South Africans. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and which has the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The city is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world, and Africa's only officially designated global city (classified as a gamma world city). While often assumed to be South Africa's capital, Johannesburg does not form one of South Africa's three capital cities. Johannesburg does, however, house the South African Constitutional Court - South Africa's highest court. Johannesburg is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. Johannesburg is also served by O.R.TamboInternationalAirport, the largest and busiest airport in Africa and a gateway for international air travel to and from the rest of southern Africa.
If You Have 1 or 2 Days
If you have only one day in Jo'burg, take a tour of Soweto or Alexandra, see the ApartheidMuseum, go shopping, and then head out to Muldersdrift for a wild and wacky African dinner at the Carnivore restaurant. If you have a second day, focus on what interests you most: perhaps a day trip to the Cradle of Humankind, where you'll explore the sites of some of the latest and most significant paleontological discoveries in the world, or a jaunt to Sun City. You could start the day off with a balloon ride and then amble through the Magaliesberg area, wandering from coffee shop to art studio. Other options include a tour of the Cullinan Diamond Mine, near Tshwane, or a visit to GoldReefCity and the ApartheidMuseum. Each of these options could take up a half or full day.
When to Go to Johannesburg
Johannesburg and the highveld enjoy glorious summers, with hot, sunny days broken by afternoon thunderstorms. Winter nights are frosty; days are generally mild and sunny but can be decidedly chilly, with rain, sleet, and even a little snow.
To residents, Johannesburg seems a bit of a ghost town over the December holidays. It's high summer and it's hot, and there's often a thunderstorm in the afternoon. The city empties out as all the factories close down and families head for the seaside or the bush. There is little or no rain in winter (from March to September), and it gets bitterly cold. Johannesburg seems stark, with the cold reflecting off the concrete, but at least the aloes flower, some a deep red. Then the city starts to thaw. Jacaranda trees bloom, carpeting the streets with purple blossoms, and a local arts festival, Arts Alive, makes things festive
