Introduction

City Centre

Johannesburg City Centre is a vibrant juxtaposition of the first world and the third world. The central part of Jo'burg (as it is known), whose tall skyscrapers are today a grimy 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 colourful profusion. Vendors display shiny fruit and vegetables, young women scoop out pap (maize) and sauce, and Indian merchants sell gaudy clothing. The crime rate in this area is high, so visitors are encouraged to take sensible precautions: walk in a group; do not carry valuables; and don't walk around at night or over weekends when the crowds dissipate.

The Standard Bank Collection of African Art provides some cultural relief in the City Centre with its display of art from across the continent. To gain perspective of the city, visit the observation deck at the top of the Carlton Centre on Commissioner Street. At 50 storeys high this is Africa's tallest office building, giving visitors an excellent view over the city and its idiosyncratic yellow mountains (mine-dump hills). If you have wheels, don't miss the Top Star Drive-In cinema dramatically located on top of one of these hills.

Newtown & Fordsburg

Lying just west of the CBD is Newtown, an area dominated by the revamped Victorian-era Market Theatre Precinct. Originally a market for Indian traders, this is today a fascinating collection of alternative shops, theaters, galleries, bars and coffee houses. Highlights include Museum Africa, an excellent showcase of black people's contribution to Johannesburg's development, and Gramadoela's African Restaurant which cooks up authentic South African cuisine. The French Institute of South Africa is also located here.

Continue along Bree Street to Fordsburg and find Jo'burg's Little India – the Oriental Plaza. This enormous bazaar consists of 275 stalls selling fabric, clothes, household goods, Indian spices and food. Next door is the Fordsburg Artists' Studios where you can watch artists at work.

Yeoville & Orangegrove

East of the City Centre is the multi-racial Yeoville neighborhood. This area is dominated by Rockey Street, a laid-back assortment of shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Rock clubs and tattoo parlours lie side by side, while bead shops and second hand book stores rub shoulders in this cosmopolitan quarter.

Continue east through Orangegrove along Louis Botha Avenue, and be sure to stop by 206 Live, an establishment in the Jo'burg clubbing scene. Further along the road is the Victory Theatre, a playhouse whose history extends to 1933 when this was a farming area. Continue travelling along Louis Botha Avenue and arrive in Norwood. This district is well-known for its buzzing restaurants and cafes – try the Singing Fig restaurant, an institution in its own right offering up French provencal dishes. This area is equally famous for communities who have cordoned off entire blocks in the face of escalating crime.

Soweto

South Africa's most famous township lies south-west of the city. Soweto is a vast sprawl of houses, shacks, huts, and dorms whose standards range from plush to woeful. Like other townships that exist on the fringes of South African cities, security is poor, but it is possible to visit with a tour group or a dependable black friend. Tours usually include stops at Nelson Mandela's former home, now a museum, and the Hector Petersen Memorial, dedicated to the young boy who was the first fatality of the June 1976 student uprising. Stop by at the reputable Wandie's Place restaurant for an authentic taste of Africa.

Parktown & Melville

Leaving behind the CBD and venturing in a northerly direction one travels towards Johannesburg's more affluent neighbourhoods. The leafy suburb of Parktown is a perfect way to introduce oneself with the colonial history of early Johannesburg. Many of the city's mining magnates of the late 19th century lived in ornate mansions designed by the renowned architect, Sir Herbert Baker. These homes are now national monuments, which can be visited through the Parktown-Westcliff Heritage Trust.

Close to Parktown is the trendy suburb of Melville, which lies in the shadow of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, just north of the City Centre. Browse antique shops, boutiques and second hand books stores, or enjoy one of the many restaurants, cafes and bars.

While the suburbs just north of the city are older and more established, those further north are modern and dynamic, but a little soulless. Rosebank, Sandton and Houghton are some of the neighbourhoods replete with ultra-modern shopping malls and business districts – nirvana for shoppers and diners, and a hive of commercial activity.

Amongst the many fine restaurants is Vilamoura Sandton, offering award winning Portuguese-style seafood. Drop by Nino's in the Rosebank shopping mall for a coffee and some people-watching, or the Liberty Life Theater on the Square in Sandton for cultural inspiration. In the northern 'burbs, tall, mirrored, futuristic office blocks reflect white and black faces peering from Mercedes Benzes – the beggars at traffic lights the only reminder of Johannesburg's distinct first and third world elements.