Things to Do in Gauteng

The Carlton Centre is a 50-story, four-blocks-long skyscraper in downtown Johannesburg, and at 732-feet (223-meters tall, it's one of the tallest buildings in Africa. This towering structure is also known as a shopping destination and it offers unparalleled roof-top views of the South African capital city.

A complex of 300 limestone caves, South Africa's Cradle of Humankind is one of the most significant archaeological and anthropological sites in the world. The UNESCO World Heritage Site has produced an extensive human and animal fossil record, including a nearly-complete hominin skull dating back more than 2 million years.

From tiny fennec foxes to majestic leopards and lions, the Bothongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve brims with life—and is the perfect way to discover the diversity of South African wildlife. Compared to traditional safaris, it has more organized and curated experiences. It's also close to downtown Johannesburg and a top city destination.

Newtown is a neighborhood in the center of Johannesburg, and it has been the focus of redevelopment efforts in recent years. Originally called “The Brickfields,” as brick-making was the primary industry, the neighborhood was burned to the ground in 1904 – on purpose. The reason given was to stop the spread of the plague. Later that year, as the area was being redeveloped, it was given the name of Newtown.

Today, Newtown is home to some important Johannesburg attractions, such as MuseumAfrica, Market Theatre, and Mary Fitzgerald Square.

Built for irrigation purposes in the 1920s, Hartbeespoort Dam created a reservoir and a recreation hot spot that now draws visitors to what has become a small resort town. Nestled in the Magaliesberg, Hartbeespoort offers a mountain escape complete with scenic views and everything from cruises to paragliding.

You don’t have to head for the big game reserves to appreciate the variety of South African wildlife—it’s all on display at the Johannesburg Zoo. The sprawling 136-acre (55-hectare site includes spacious habitats for more than 320 species, with a focus on the physical and psychological wellbeing of the animals on display.

Johannesburg's SAB World of Beer is a museum dedicated to beer, run by South African Breweries. Opened in 1995, the World of Beer is an interactive beer museum tracing the history of the drink in Africa. The exhibits begin with the earliest known references to beer, roughly 5,000 years ago in Egypt and Mesopotamia. In addition to the history of beer, visitors also learn about the beer-making process in different parts of the world.

Tours end in the Tap Room, where visitors can sample South African Breweries' beers and enjoy some snacks while looking out over Newtown.

One of the attractions in the Constitution Hill area of Johannesburg is the Old Fort Prison Complex, which date from the late 19th century. The prison buildings were built by the Boers (Afrikaans speakers) starting in 1896 as the place to put any British invaders who were captured. During the Second Boer War, the tables were turned when the British took over the Old Fort and used the prison to hold (and execute) captive Boers.

Later, during apartheid, the main part of the Old Fort was a “whites-only” prison. An exception was made for Nelson Mandela, who was held here briefly in 1962 before his Rivonia Trial. Gandhi was also among those held in another part of the prison complex.

It may be hard to picture the tree-lined suburbs of Johannesburg’s Rivonia as farmland, but just over 40 years ago it was. And Liliesleaf was a farm with a dual purpose: Many of the events that led to the overthrow of apartheid were concocted at Liliesleaf. Its remote location housed clandestine planning meetings and government-opposition discussions by leading members of the ANC during apartheid in the 1960s. Open to the public as a museum since 2008, the multiple farm buildings now house photographs, maps, films and period information that share the history of the rise of apartheid to its eventual collapse, the heritage of the liberation movement and the farm’s unique role in the country’s history.

A visit here begins at the Liberation Centre and its auditorium with a 12-minute introductory film. From there, visitors can guide themselves through the farm’s various spaces or opt for a docent-guided tour. These must be booked at least five days in advance and vary in length from 45 minutes to 3 hours, depending on preference.

One of Liliesleaf’s highlights is the garage area where Nelson Mandela lived under the pseudonym David Motsamayi between 1961 and 1962. Today the building houses exhibits on Radio Freedom and the farm laborers who worked at Liliesleaf unaware of its other use. In July of 1963, police officers arrived concealed in a laundry van and detained of eight key party members in a raid. The event proved a major setback after two years using the space as a headquarters. An entire building is dedicated to the persisting mystery of how exactly the police knew about Liliesleaf, and near the end a four-part film plays on loop, detailing the subsequent prison break by the eight detainees. The onsite Cedric’s Café, named for the farm’s codename, offers light meals and snacks.

Johannesburg's Workers' Museum, as the name suggests, exposes the conditions in which the city's substantial migrant population lived and worked in the 20th century. The museum occupies a former workers' compound, where hundreds of men lived in cramped and dirty conditions. These men worked for the city's sanitary and power departments, and lived under what amounted to little more than slave-like conditions. The compound was built in 1913, and it was used until the 1980s.

Today, the compound houses the Workers' Museum (opened in 2010), offering a poignant reminder of a dark period in Johannesburg's past through exhibits illustrating the horrid life a migrant worker lived. In addition to rooms such as bunk rooms and toilets, the museum also has a workers' library and resource center.

The Workers' Museum is managed as a branch of Museum Africa (its entrance is on Newtown Park, in the Newtown Cultural Precinct). It tells the story of migrants who came to Johannesburg from across Southern Africa, leaving behind their homes and families. Centrally located in the Newtown Cultural Precinct, the original dormitories, concrete bunks, and punishment room at the old compound building reveal the workers’ hardships under the migrant labour system. This was a cornerstone of the economy from the early 1900s to the 1970s, when at last the system of job reservation began to break down.

Tranquil gardens and grassy picnic areas surround a scenic reservoir, providing the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg. The botanical gardens meld a mix of herbs, succulents, and roses—all lining walkways and water features. The reservoir offers ample opportunities for fishing, paddling, and sailing.

Museum Africa, Johannesburg’s main cultural and historical museum, occupies an imposing building which was once the city’s main fruit and vegetable market. Interactive displays examine the importance of gold for South Africa, the Treason Trial, Jo’Burg’s dazzling musical heritage, and South Africa’s hundreds of cultural and ethnic groups.

The Hillbrow Tower is a tall tower located in the Hillbrow suburb of Johannesburg. Originally known as the JG Strijdom tower, the structure was completed in 1971 and is one of the tallest constructions in the Southern Hemisphere. The Hillbrow Tower was also a major telecommunications for the city.

This giant brick warehouse divided in to seven sections is dedicated to all things transportation. From ox carts to early bicycles and modern day cars and trains, the James Hall Museum of Transport is a showcase of the implements that have propelled the people of South Africa for more than a century.

Most self-guided tours begin in the North Hall, home to motorcars from before and after the South African War. This area includes the museum’s oldest car, a green Edwardian Clement-Panhard (1900), as well as unusual artifacts like the minuscule 1957 MBW Microcar Isetta. Locomotives and retired city vehicles, like a double-decker bus, are on the open-air porch, and examples of buses and trolleys, including Johannesburg’s last electric powered Tram and a traveling library bus still filled with books, can be seen in the West Hall.

The two floors of the South Hall showcase a plethora of animal drawn vehicles from ox-carts to private carriages… there’s even an old horse-drawn Zeederberg Company mail coach and a Voortrekker wagon used by Afrikanners during the Great Trek to Johannesburg from the Cape Colony. From there, it’s about motorcycles and bikes in front of the East Hall where the silly- looking penny farthing bicycle, tricycles, scooters and rickshaws are on display. The back of the East Hall is a devoted garage for a suite of red fire engines. The courtyard is home to steam-powered vehicles, some of which regain their steam (so to speak) once a year, offering rides for a museum fundraiser. A wander through for most takes between one and two hours.