History of Johannesburg
Johannesburg, or “Jozi”, or “Jo’burg” as it is more commonly known to South Africans, probably would not be the thriving cosmopolitan city it is today, were it not for a young Australian prospector, named George Harrison. He was working on a farm in the Barberton area when he accidentally stumbled across a rock of gold. He sold it, and the gold soon exchanged hands again, selling for 5 times the amount he had received. Excitement mounted when the site was inspected, and the “Gold Rush” began!
Prospectors from North America, Europe and the United Kingdom came in their droves, and once an even richer vein of gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand, the sparsely populated area, by 1895, had 100 000 residents. Before gold was discovered, the region was populated with Bushmen and Bantu-speaking indigents. Control of the land became a problem, and the farmers, or “Boers”, took umbrage, and tension increased to such an extent, that the Second Anglo-Boer War was fought, culminating in the Boers losing the war, and in 1910, the Union of South Africa was declared, making way for a better mining organization.
The South African government then imposed heavy taxes on the black and Indian population, and barred them from holding any type of job other than migrant labourers at the growing amount of gold mines. The government then forcibly removed non Europeans and settled them in an area known as South Western Townships, now known as Soweto. The apartheid system lasted until 1990, and in 1994, the first “one man one vote”, non racial elections were held.
During the apartheid era, Johannesburg was divided into seven white local authorities, and four black or coloured local authorities, with the major spoils going to the white local authorities. Post apartheid saw Johannesburg divided into four regions, each with a major local regional council, which was overseen by a metropolitan council. The gold mines were not without problems- railway worker strikes and miner strikes started off in 1910, which slowed production, and then in 1920, approximately 70 000 mineworkers launched a strike against the increasing restrictions that they had to live with, but the army forced them back to work.
While gold mining was the foundation of Johannesburg, it is now the economic hub of the business world in Africa and South Africa, with as much as three-quarters of the country’s corporate headquarters stationed in Johannesburg. Johannesburg is also headquarters to the industry association, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange( known as the Johannesburg Securities Exchange- the 16th largest in the world) as well as being the centre of manufacturing, trade, services and finance. “Egoli”- “The City of Gold” also employs 12% of the country’s workforce. Johannesburg International Airport is the transport hub of South Africa, with most international airlines using the airport as a gateway to the rest of Africa and the world.
Although South African has 11 official languages, the most prolific languages spoken in the Gauteng Province, are Afrikaans, English, Zulu, and Xhosa. The city itself resembles a mini-Manhattan- skyscrapers nestled against historical Victorian buildings, with influences in the architecture from Europe, United Kingdom, and the more modern South African architectural style.
There is a huge drive to make downtown Johannesburg a safer place , both for businesses and tourists alike, and together with new residential projects, and new businesses and investments, as well as a sharp drop in inner city crimes, the city seems to be winning the battle, and property prices are booming. The newly refurbished Carlton Centre, which was unfortunately in the middle of inner city crime, has now distinguished corporate clients in their office suites, and the shopping centre houses approximately 200 attractive shops. An elevator to the top of the building(52 stories high) allows you a panoramic and unparalled view of the city, including the fairly new Madiba Bridge, which links the business district of Braamfontein, to the popular cultural suburb, called Newton.
Johannesburg has plenty to offer the visitor- whether you have a day or more, the options are unlimited. The Sandton City Mall has 300 shops, as well as a movie theatre and restaurants- from fast food to fine dining. It is also linked to Nelson Mandela Square(formerly known as Sandton Square), a European style piazza, with wonderful restaurants dotted along its parameter, where you can sit back in a relaxed atmosphere and be entertained- over the weekend, there is always something going on in the Square, whether its tribal dancing, art shows, or music, The Liberty Theatre, which often runs high quality productions, is also situated on Nelson Mandela Square. The Market Theatre which was originally a produce market, has been completely refurbished, and jazz bands, experimental theatre, and art attract a wide and cosmopolitan audience.
There are also good bars and restaurants, and the art exhibits are changed regularly. The Rosebank Mall offers side walk cafes, discerning shopping, art galleries, as well as the Rosebank African Craft Market, where artifacts from all over Africa can be found. Art Galleries dotted all over the city provide the browser with an opportunity to see some of Africa’s finest artists, as well as regularly displaying international works.
The Bus Factory in Newton, which was an old bus depot, has workshops and displays, including indigenous beadwork, baskets, wooden objects, and curios. The Lion Park just outside of Johannesburg offers you the opportunity to view African Wildlife, ranging from lions, including white lions, and black leopards, it is also home to cheetahs, wild dogs, hyenas, as well as a large variety of antelope.
A cable car transports you to a hilltop, overlooking the beautifully landscaped Johannesburg Zoo, which has earned a reputation of being one of the best zoos in the world-it is the only zoo in Africa which has Polar bears as well as Komodo Dragons. The Johannesburg Zoo also has an aquarium and Reptile Park, and a beautiful man-made lake.
The Rhino/Lion Park is situated an hour’s drive from Sandton, is also home to hippos, lion, cheetahs, wild dog and many species of different game, and is nestled in the World Heritage Site of Gauteng. Cullinan, where the famous Cullinan diamond was found, offers a surface tour of the mine, as well as diamond sales.
Outdoor fun in Johannesburg can never be described as boring- whether its taking to the skies parachuting, micro lighting or gliding, or even being a passenger in a L39 combat jet, or flying low over countryside in a helicopter or hot air balloon, the sky really is the limit! If you are a water baby, then rowing, white water rafting, paragliding, skiing, jet skiing, sunset cruises, even surfing, are all possible in this city that is so far from any ocean- man made lakes abound, with plenty of water activities, including fly fishing, to choose from. Horse back riding, skate boarding, ice skating, mountain climbing, cave rappelling, 4x4 vehicle trails, game viewing, mountain bike riding, clay pigeon shooting, archery, day trips to Soweto, gambling, live entertainment, resort complexes, craft markets, or just seeing the latest movie- all are within easy reach from the centre of Johannesburg.
