Time In Johannesburg

Johannesburg is the capital of the Gauteng Province, merges modern ways with its older and more traditional surroundings.

Not seen as a tourist hotspot, it is still one of Africa's most modernized citys. Theatre and a flea market can be found at the Market Theatre Complex, and the new Museum Africa offers and inside look at the nations always interesting past and people. References to the troubled past of Johannesburg are not omitted, and stand a testament to the progress being made.

The town does sport a pair of prestigious libraries. The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) is home to the Smuts Library the houses the book collection of South African statesman Jan Smut's, and the Gubbins Library that boasts an all exclusive collection of books on Africa.

Taxi drivers can be persuaded to tour you through the Jo'burg back streets, where you will likely notice that the large housed seem to be literally wrapped in security blankets. Home security is a major business in this African capitol. Yeoville, once a local hotspot and economically robust area, has begun to slide into disrepair.

There are many options for touring the suburb of Soweto, where two former homes of Nelson Mandela can be found. You will see all sides of the city, from the ultramodern township hospital, to run down neighborhoods consisting of shanty towns and hostels. A high school can be seen, that while having seemingly no unbroken windows and being surrounded by razor wire, still hosts students and teachers inside it's broken walls. For the lighter side, try a visit to the Oriental Plaza, where many item with connections the South African Indians who operate most of the shops, can be found.

Objects of interest in the general area include a collection of fossils at Sterkfontein Caves that can be found only a short half-hour drive away. Crown mines, one of the many mines in and around Johannesburg, has been turned into something of an impromptu tourist attraction. Its mine tour includes a ride on a steam train through a museum, and displays by African Tribal Dancers of their talents. If a working gold mine is what interests you, there are many that allow visitors but prior permission is needed and can often take months to receive, if at all. Try Welkom, Evander, Carletonville, Kerksdorp, and Orkney, but be aware that many of these mines will not allow anyone under the age of 16.

African wildlife can also be found within a short distance of Jo'burg. Within a half day's drive you could visit the De Wildt Cheetah Research and Breeding Station or the Crocodile Farm. If your trip finds you in Jo'burg on a Sunday, tribal dancers will be performing 24 miles from town at the Heia Safari Ranch. Also of interest is the South Ndebele Village, where an open air museum showcases how the tribes of Africa once lived.

A traveler should keep a close eye on his/her wallet, as crime is as prevalent here as in any major city around the world. Visitors just arriving at the Johannesburg International Airport, east of town, are urged to stay at nearby hotels at first, before venturing unescorted in the heart of the city.