So many Joburgers, and visitors to Joburg, labour under the misapprehension that there’s nothing to do here … but don’t be fooled!
The City of Gold is abuzz with fascinating places and activities. Here are a few of them:
1. There’s a multi-storey shopping mall in downtown Joburg that’s run by the city’s Ethiopian community. If you love great coffee, Little Addis is the place to be. You could sample the injere, a massive pancake with fillings on top of it. It’s very tasty and because it’s a communal meal, everyone gets involved in the beautiful art of eating.
2. In April every year, graffiti artists are invited to deck the walls (and pavements, pillars and roll-up garage doors) under the double-decker bridge in Newtown. Their skilful daubs add amazing colour to an otherwise pretty bleak couple of blocks.
3. Joburg has a fashion district. Take the C3 Reya Vaya bus from Park Station and get off at Fashion Square. Here you will find a wide range of garments and fabrics at great prices.
The Fashion Kapitol, part of the district, is an exciting new hub for the city’s fahionistas. It’s part of the Johannesburg Development Agency’s inner-city revival project and it pumps on Saturdays between 10am and 2pm.
4. The best spot in town to get your eyebrows threaded is at a small place in Fordsburg, Rose Hair Salon, which, incidentally, is right next to the best place to get a luxurious “cut-throat” shave. Worth a try, no? (While you’re in the area, pop into Swaruchi for a pure vegetarian, authentic Indian meal. Delicious!)
5. You can go on guided walking tours in the city, from Parktown to the mining district and from Fordsburg to Maboneng. There are a number of companies that offer these tours, including JoburgPlaces and Past Experiences.
The tours are led by passionate Jozi experts with intimate knowledge of the back streets, alleyways, nooks and crannies that you’d never dream of exploring on your own – and they’re nowhere near as scary as you think!
If you’re still stuck for something interesting to do in Jozi, don’t stress … there’s an app (of course). The Gauteng Tourism Authority (GTA) has developed the #GeePeeShotLeft travel guide for Apple and Android smartphones. Search for “Gauteng Travel Guide” on your device and start exploring!
And check out the hashtag #GeePeeShotLeft on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for first-hand accounts of the amazing things people do in Joburg.
