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The 27 clauses of South African's constitution are carved into these massive, gorgeous doors leading in to the court. Inside the foyer, the curated art collection is on par with museum-quality standards.
Visit Johannesburg, South Africa
HighlightsWanderlists
Constitutional Court
Mahatma Ghandi Bust
October 10, morning: Speaker Sessions at Constitution Hill
Saturday foodie market in Braamfontein
Warthog Sausage Anybody?
Local lunch spot in Jozi
Paella in Joburg
Essential Johannesburg: Touring With The Big Red Bus
Fun Saturday Market
Exploring Newtown, Johannesburg, South Africa
Designer Co-Op
The new Wits Art Museum
Kerk Street shopping
A Treasure Trove of African Art
Best View in Joburg?
Mandela's Words
Turbine Hall
Nice Little Courtyard 
Antelopes on Main Street
When Night Meets Day
Walter and Albertina Sisulu, two leaders of the new South...
Watch your silverware!
Oppenheimer Park
Delightful Boutique Hotel in Houghton
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The court is housed in a beautiful building atop Constitution Hill. Outside is the old jail, the new Flame of Democracy, and the even newer bust of Ghandi (he was jailed here 4 times). Inside, the art is incredible. Worth the trip just for it.
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Just unveiled two days ago. Ghandi had four stints in jail here between 1908 and 1913.
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Hear from Edwin Cameron, one of South Africa’s Constitutional Court judges, and the first senior official in the country to declare publicly that he was living with HIV/AIDS. Constitution Hill is the site of the nation’s highest courts as well as the Old Fort Prison complex, where South African citizens such as Gandhi and Mandela were once held. The beautiful court building also showcases some extraordinary South African art, and the collection’s curator, Stacey Vorster, will be on hand to explain the significance of the work. We’ll also hear talks from leading authorities in current issues such as education, politics, and employment. Giles Gillette and Anthony Farr (education activists), Nic Dawes (Editor in Chief of the progressive Mail & Guardian newspaper), and Kuben Naidoo (head secretariat of the National Planning Committee) will lead the talks.
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This semi-outdoor market on Juta Street in Joburg's Braamfontein neighbourhood is fun fun fun. Eat oysters from Namibia, drink craft beer from South Africa, and devour paella, gelato, cheeses, chocolate...a food lover's paradise! Open on Saturdays.
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After having spent the morning at Neighbourgoods Market–I finally realized I am indeed in Siouth Africa. Buffalo Chorizo was on the menu as well. Every Saturday, rain or shine from 9am-3pm. Perfect place to have breakfast, brunch, or lunch. Across the street you'll find 70 Juta–a cluster of pop-ups and fun designer stores and collectives.
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A hip local lunch spot in the Braamfontein 'hood of Jo'burg. Real estate mogul Adam Levy owns the area around Seventy Juta, the heart of Jozi hipness. Post is a great spot for lunch after a bit of shopping. Across the street is Kitchener's Carvery Bar, one of the city's oldest inside the Milner Hotel. Go at night if you want to see a concert by Desmond and the Tutus or DJ Andrew.
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Why not? There are also oysters, margaritas, gelato and lots more at the Neighbour Goods Market. But only on Saturdays.
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Recently launched in Johannesburg, City Sightseeing tours has done a fantastic job of getting locals & tourists alike to the definitive parts of central Johannesburg, helping them learn more about the city where gold has had such a huge influence. The Red Bus offers a hop-on,hop-off tour experience to 12 fantastic, historical sightseeing locations, with audio commentary on the bus which is tied in with local points of interest along the way. The service runs at 40 minute intervals, & takes you to historical and cultural venues such as the Apartheid Museum, The Newtown Precinct, the Origins Centre & Braamfontein. As each of the stops are filled with loads of interesting facts, sights, & activities I would definitely suggest starting early in the day as you can easily find yourself staying longer than one 40 minute interval if not two. Should you stop at one of the inner city stops, it is advisable to be cautious & vigilant as there can be very opportunistic individuals who will have no problem relieving a tourist of their recently purchased gift-shop items & any other items of value. Tourists from sun forsaken countries may wish to sit at the top in the open air section & soak up the sun for a gloriously golden tan (with the help of a strong SPF lotion of course) while enjoying the views & the extremely informative & jovial audio narrative. Purchasing tickets online qualifies the purchaser to a discount.
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Fun place to drink, eat and hang out with locals on a beautiful Saturday in Joburg.
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On the western edge of downtown Johannesburg, a neighborhood named Newtown has emerged as the city’s cultural heart. Once a gritty industrial center, Newtown is now a gathering place for South African writers, artists, and musicians. Begin your exploration at the neighborhood’s hub, Mary Fitzgerald Square, where the community comes together for national holiday celebrations and outdoor performances such as Venda tribal dancing. At Xarra Books, an indie bookstore on the square that’s dedicated to African literature, you can pick up local author Lebo Mashile’s latest collection of poems and drop in on talks by such South African luminaries as anti-apartheid activist Albie Sachs. Next, walk to the nearby Bus Factory, a cavernous brick building that was once a bus depot and now houses a collection of traditional crafts and contemporary sculpture by local artists. Check out the murals of Jo’burg’s skyline and a “forest” installation built from African walking sticks. When evening comes, join the crowd at Bassline, a half-block south of the square. This live music venue features a mix of jazz, world, Afro-pop, hip-hop, and kwaito—a township-born music genre that combines hip-hop and house with lyrics sung in a blend of most of South Africa’s 11 official languages. For all the activity, Newtown is still a small scene where you can mingle with local heroes. One evening I ran into Pops Mohamed, a reserved South African world-fusion musician, at a music conference held on the square. “There’s always something going on here,” he said. In front of us, a gospel choir was just warming up. Photo by Toby Corkindale. This appeared in the March/April 2010 issue.
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There are a number of unusual stores and creative co-ops around this area. This one, Dokter and Misses, has fun prints, furniture, lighting and table top objects–all created by local designers.
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I got a sneek preview today of the new facility for WAM (the art museum of the University of the Witwatersrand). The opening gala is this Wednesday. A great space with the best collection of African art. they have over 10,000 pieces, about 300 of which will be on display. This image is of a portion of Jackson Hlungwane’s Women’s Altar to God. Join AFAR Experiences in South Africa this fall.
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Walking through the CBD, I was delighted to come upon this buzzing shopping area. The street has been turned into a mall, with a covered area, where vendors can set up to sell all kinds of things. Haircuts are one of the favorites. There are nice shops, like Kurt Geiger, opening in the area, to go with the street vendors. I heard that people come from all over Africa to shop here.
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An amazingly curated museum, the Wits Art Museum, fondly referred to as WAM, hosts a stunning collection of contemporary and traditional African art. It's located in a bright and airy space and feels relatively undiscovered. My favorite piece was Sam Nhlengethwa's "It left him cold", a tribute to the death of Steve Biko. Definitely put this on your list.
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Perched at the highest point in Braamfontein, Randlords is a rooftop bar and lounge with a great 360 degree view of the entire Joburg area. Open only for private events, if you get a chance, definitely check it out.
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This is the original handwritten manuscript by Nelson Mandela of his famous statement from the dock at his trial on April 20th, 1964. In this statement he declared that apartheid was "an ideal for which I am prepared to die" These handwritten notes are on display at the Wit Museum which I was visiting w/ AFAR Experiences. The special projects Curator, Fiona Rankin-Smith hosted us. After spending yesterday at the Apartheid Museum and Liliesleaf Farm where we heard from Denis Goldberg, a leading white activist in the ANC who spent 22 years in jail after sentencing in the Rivonia Trials, seeing Nelson Mandela's handwritten speech was awe inspiring.
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The site of an old power plant, it has been turned into a beautiful modern building used for events and entry to the HQ for AngloGold Ashanti.
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70 Juta is a cool little design area with little shops and a nice cafe where you can grab a sandwich and cup of coffee at Post Cafe and relax in the courtyard.
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This Impala Stampede sculpture was originally donated by the Oppenheimer. It was vandalized many years ago at its original location in Oppenheimer Park, but has been repaired and moved to this spot on Main Street, a beautiful pedestrian mall, right outside the Anglo American headquarters. A nice place to take a stroll on an afternoon.
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After a long day of filming and shooting, I rushed off to meet a friend and fellow photographer to try and snap a shot of the sunset over the CBD. This day had turned out to be particularly nice as for the past few days it'd had been really overcast and hazy due to rain. So with the rain gone, the air was clear and we were lucky to see some amazing colours over the city skyline!
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Nelson Mandela was best man at their wedding in 1944. Walter went on to be a leader of the ANC and the anti-apartheid movement. Ma Sisulu was a leader in her own right, starting with her arrest and two month stint in solitary confinement in 1963. They were known for their dedication to each other as well as to the country and their cause.
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Meet the other Prince – a jewelry designer who has his workshop at the Unity Gallery, inside the Bus Factory. Prince makes rings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants out of ...silverware. We had a good laugh when I told him I wouldn't let him anywhere near my kitchen! If you want to connect with locals, the Bus Factory is a great place. There are numerous creative spaces in the building, and people working there are just as curious about you as you might be about them.
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Cool little park in the heart of the CBD. Originally the home of the Impala Stampede sculpture that is now on the Main Street pedestrian mall, and donated by the founder of Anglo American and De Beers. The park struggled In the CBD's down years, but has now been relaunched as part of the rejuvenation of the CBD. They even added a sculpture of young bokkies to harken back to the original sculpture.
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This is the rooftop at a wonderful small hotel in Houghton between the golf course and the new mosque just off the M1. It was the home of Edgar and Aaron, and thankfully they have decided to share it with guests. They recently bought the house next door and plan to increase from 5 to 11 rooms in June 2012.
