Introducing Johannesburg
Travel Alert: Crime is a serious problem in Johannesburg; see the Dangers & Annoyances section for details.
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Jo’burg, or ‘Jozi’ as it’s more commonly known, is without a doubt the great big beating heart of South Africa, and has long played a Jekyll-and-Hyde role in the global consciousness. Often the stage on which the epic of this extraordinary nation has been played out, the colossus of Jo’burg – with all its thrills and foibles – is today a fascinating, multitudinous city, where all the ups and downs of 21st-century South Africa can be witnessed in three, multicolour dimensions.
In the past, the city’s darker personality proved the most enduring. The Jo’burg of the newsflash was a city where fear and loathing reigned supreme; a city where spiralling gun crime and poverty had manifested itself in a society where one half of the population stagnated, while the other looked on impassively through coils of razor wire.
As ever, there is an element of truth to the stereotypes. Jo’burg does bear scars of South Africa’s turbulent 20th century, and many will take time to heal. Stark inequalities persist, but armed with a new self-confidence – ironically most pronounced in the infamous township of Soweto – Africa’s giant hub is beginning to introduce itself to a healthier diet of urban renewal and social regeneration.
Last updated: Apr 16, 2009
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Re: Bus Service between Johannesburg and Gabarone (Botswana)
by Musafir01 14 September 2011
Hi Kira Please give me the name of the rental company which let u take the car to Botswana. I checked with Budget, they don't allow their…
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RE: Bus Service between Johannesburg and Gabarone (Botswana)
by Kira 14 September 2011
Yes, seem to remember it was a monopolized route ... So glad I had a rental car ..... would have been driven to madness finally! Kira…
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RE: Bus Service between Johannesburg and Gabarone (Botswana)
by Jeroen 14 September 2011
I took this bus a few months ago - departs in the afternoon from Park station terminal, takes about 6 hours, drops of in central Gaborone.…
Hotels & Hostels in Johannesburg
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Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel Sandton Johannesburg
Johannesburg(5 star Hotel)
From US$135.90 per night
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