JOBURG FIRSTS

The City of Johannesburg has had numerous "firsts" in South Africa over the last 120 years, some of the earlier ones being:
First Chemist - the "Golden Mortar Dispensary", founded by Mr Heymann in 1886, and situated on Commissioner Street.
First Brewery - The Wilshire Brewery - situated north of Booysens, in 1887.
First Concert - Staged in Thompsons Store on President Street ( the offices of the "Star" newspaper house is now situated there) to celebrate Queen Victorias' Golden Jubilee, on 21 June 1887.
First Roller Skating Rink - on Kerk Street, in 1891.
First Ice-Skating Rink - named "Niagara, near Park Station, in 1910
First Cafe - Cafe Francoies, on the corners of Market & Joubert Streets.

Cradle of Humankind - World Heritage site and surrounding areas, including:
Muldersdrift, Lanseria, Sterkfontein etc. where fossils over 4 million years old have been discovered. The "Crocodile Ramble" is a highly recommended tour.

The population of Johannesburg is in the region of 3,2 million, and the city provides in excess of 800,000 employment opportunities. The JDA - city wide economic development - stimulates and supports economic development throughout the city.

TRANSPORT

Johannesburg, much like Los Angeles, is a young and sprawling city geared towards private motorists, and lacks a convenient public transportation system. A significant number of the city's residents are dependent on the city's informal minibus taxis.

Johannesburg's metro railway system connects central Johannesburg to Soweto, Pretoria, and most of the satellite towns along the Witwatersrand. The railways transport huge numbers of workers every day. However, the railway infrastructure was built in Johannesburg's infancy and covers only the older areas in the city's south. In the past half century Johannesburg has grown largely northwards, and none of the northern areas, including the key business districts of Sandton, Midrand, Randburg, and Rosebank, have any rail infrastructure.

The Gauteng Provincial Government's Blue IQ Project, Gautrain, however, has made provisions for the creation of a rapid rail link, running north to south, between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and east-west between Sandton and Johannesburg International Airport. Slated to be ready in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the rail system is being designed to alleviate traffic on the N1 freeway between Johannesburg and Pretoria, which records vehicle loads of up to 160,000 per day.

JOBURG TRANSFORMED

The city is currently undergoing a transformation in an effort to attract business back into the city centre.
The city of Johannesburg is also known as "Egoli", meaning City of gold - appropriately - as 40% of the worlds gold has been produced by the gold mines in and around the city!

SUBURBS OF JOBURG

The different suburbs of Johannesburg are generally categorised by compass direction, as different areas of the city have greatly different personalities. Since Johannesburg is such a large city, there is great variety in the suburbs that comprise it. While the Central Business District and the surrounding areas were formerly highly desired wealthy areas, they have lost their former reputation after migrants took over abandoned buildings, and the crime level rose accordingly. The suburbs to the south of the city are mainly lower-class residential suburbs along with some townships, although most suburbs in the South tend to be extremely large and undistinguished.

The northern and northwestern suburbs like Sandton have become the centre for the wealthy, containing the high-end retail shops and well as several upper-class residential areas. To the southwest of the City Centre is Soweto, a mostly black urban area constructed during the apartheid regime specifically for housing African people who were then living in areas designated by the government for white settlement. Today, Soweto is among the poorest parts of Johannesburg.

The northern and northwestern suburbs have become the centre for the wealthy, containing the high-end retail shops and well as several upper-class residential areas including Houghton, where Nelson Mandela makes his home. The northwestern area in particular is vibrant and lively, with the mostly-black suburb of Sophiatown a hotbed of political activity and the Bohemian-flavoured Melville featuring lively gathering places and nightlife. Auckland Park is home to the headquarters of the South African Broadcasting Corporation and the University of Johannesburg.

To the southwest of the City Centre is Soweto, a mostly black urban area constructed during the apartheid regime specifically for housing African people who were then living in areas designated by the government for white settlement. Today, Soweto is among the poorest parts of Johannesburg. The eastern suburbs include Yeoville, a hot spot for black nightlife despite its otherwise poor reputation, and several residential areas that are slowly gaining respectability.

WHAT'S ON IN JOBURG

JOHANNESBURG ENTERTAINMENT

Johannesburg has a large variety of vibrant cultural entertainment - theatre, dance, music and clubs. For those who prefer to go to the Cinema, there are several comfortable, air-conditioned houses, which screen the latest releases. The Coca-Cola Dome, in North Riding, caters for multi-purpose indoor entertainment - exhibitions, concerts, conventions and indoor sporting events. Another of the many venues is the Expo Centre in Nasrec - the largest Expo Centre in Southern Africa - which caters for music festivals and event staging, in addition to exhibitions and conferences. There are also several casinos, for those who feel lucky!

NAMING OF JOBURG

Johannesburg was named after two commissioners - Johannes Rissik and Christiaan Johannes Joubert who had confirmed the discovery of gold by George Harrison in the area. Street names such as Rissik, Harrison and Commissioner in Johannesburg are named after these individuals.