Things to do in Johannesburg

Johannesburg has no single centre. Sandton runs the money, the old CBD and Maboneng carry the arts scene. Soweto, once a segregated township, is now a city in its own right, home to more than a million people.

A city with no single centre

• Soweto. The Vilakazi Street area and the Apartheid Museum tell the recent history most directly.
• Maboneng and the CBD. Street art and markets, better seen from a rooftop than walked after dark.
• Sandton. Nelson Mandela Square and the main business district, most hotels' base for day trips.
• Constitution Hill. The old fort and prison complex, now home to the Constitutional Court.

Things to do from Johannesburg

Nearly everything bookable from Johannesburg is a trip out of it, not within it. Each one aims at a different day.

• Cradle of Humankind. Under an hour northwest; the Sterkfontein Caves, where some of the oldest hominin fossils on record turned up.
• Cullinan. About an hour north-east; a working diamond mine that once produced the largest gem-quality stone ever found.
• Pilanesberg. Around two and a half hours northwest, just over the line into North West province; a full day of safari.
• Lion and Safari Park. Under an hour; a shorter wildlife fix for a half-day instead.

Practical

• Weather. Highveld climate: warm, stormy summers (20-27C, October-March, afternoon thunder most days) and dry, sunny winters (4-20C, May-August), cold enough at night for a jacket.
• Getting around. The Gautrain link from OR Tambo to Sandton takes about fifteen minutes; Uber and Bolt cover the rest of the city, day or night.
• Altitude. About 1,750m; it can leave newcomers a little short of breath on the first day.
• Tipping. Ten percent in restaurants. Day-trip drivers and guides are usually tipped separately, at the end of the day.