Johannesburg also called Jozi or Joburg is the largest city in South Africa based on population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthy province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa. While Johannesburg is not one of South Africa’s three capital cities, it is the seat of the Constitutional Court, which has the final word on interpretation of South Africa’s new post-Apartheid constitution. The city is the source of a large-scale gold and diamond trade, due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills. Johannesburg is served by O.R. Tambo International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Africa and a gateway for international air travel to and from the rest of Southern Africa. Johannesburg includes Soweto, which was a separate city from the late 1970s until the 1990s. Originally an acronym for “South-Western Townships”, Soweto originated as a collection of settlements on the outskirts of Johannesburg populated mostly by native African workers in the gold mining industry. Eventually incorporated into Johannesburg, the apartheid regime separated Soweto from the rest of Johannesburg to make it a completely Black area. The area called Lenasia is now also part of Johannesburg, and is predominantly populated by those of Indian origin since the end of the apartheid era. Many people fear Johannesburg, though we like to stress that as a tourist in transit and on a tour within South Africa, there is no risk, or at least no greater risk than getting in a plane, or driving your car to work in your home country. Safety is our number one priority, and knowledge and education is the way to alleviate any fear or concern when visiting South Africa.
