Johannesburg Uncovered: The Gateway to South Africa
In this episode, Tim and David explore Johannesburg—South Africa’s largest city, economic powerhouse, and cultural capital. Locals call it “Jozi” or “Joburg,” and it’s often the first stop for travelers heading on safari or deeper into the continent.
While many visitors simply pass through, Johannesburg rewards those who linger. With stylish neighborhoods, fascinating history, vibrant art districts, and world-class hotels, it’s a city that reflects both South Africa’s past and its modern rebirth.
Tim shares insights from over a dozen visits, while David reflects on his first-time experience exploring the city’s complex history and vibrant spirit.
Topics Covered
• Gateway to Africa – Why Johannesburg is the ideal international arrival hub for safaris and South African adventures.
• Neighborhoods with Character – Exploring Melrose Arch, Sandton, Rosebank, and Maboneng—each with its own personality.
• History & Healing – Visiting Soweto and the Apartheid Museum to understand South Africa’s profound transformation.
• Dining & Design – From chic rooftop restaurants to local cafés and culinary walking tours.
Top Things to See & Do
Apartheid Museum – A powerful, immersive experience that chronicles the rise and fall of apartheid through interactive exhibits, film, and photography. One of the most moving museums in the world.
Soweto Township – Visit Nelson Mandela’s former home (now a museum), see Vilakazi Street—the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Peace Prize winners—and witness the heartbeat of South African history.
Maboneng Precinct – Meaning “Place of Light,” this creative district transforms old warehouses into art galleries, record stores, and cafés. One of the few areas perfect for a leisurely walk and people-watching.
Rosebank & Sandton – Upscale districts known for luxury shopping, outdoor cafés, and vibrant nightlife. Rosebank feels like a small urban village, while Sandton is Joburg’s gleaming business center.
The Gautrain – A sleek, high-speed train connecting OR Tambo International Airport to Sandton and Rosebank. Safe, scenic, and the best way to arrive in style.
Where to Stay
Melrose Arch Marriott Hotel – A walkable, modern hotel surrounded by restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. Features a great pool, spacious M Club Lounge, and even a paddle (padel) club next door.
The Leonardo Hotel – One of Africa’s tallest buildings, offering sweeping views of the city skyline. Each room is a full suite with kitchen and living area. Don’t miss the rooftop lounge—or the champagne vending machine.
The Houghton Hotel – Set in a leafy, tranquil neighborhood, this elegant retreat features jacaranda-lined streets, a central pool garden, and spacious rooms that feel like a city oasis.
Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg – Perched on a hilltop overlooking the city’s parks and skyline. Expect classic Four Seasons luxury, serene views, and the acclaimed restaurant Flames.
Radisson Blu Sandton – A reliable, stylish business hotel in the heart of Sandton. Great patio, walking distance to shopping centers, and ideal for repeat travelers seeking convenience and comfort.
Where to Eat & Drink
Marble (Rosebank) – Upscale dining with a focus on wood-fired South African ingredients. Expect top-notch steaks, seafood, and local wines.
Saint (Sandton) – Italian-inspired fine dining from the team behind Marble. Known for its grilled dishes and exceptional bone marrow appetizer.
La Parada (Melrose Arch) – A lively Spanish tapas restaurant perfect for evening cocktails and people-watching in one of Joburg’s safest, most atmospheric districts.
The Living Room – A rooftop garden restaurant offering cocktails and small plates with panoramic city views—ideal for sunset.
Uncle Merv’s – A beloved local coffee shop discovered on a walking tour, known for its excellent espresso and friendly community vibe.
Can’t-Miss Experiences
- Tour Soweto – Learn firsthand about South Africa’s struggle and resilience.
- Visit the Apartheid Museum – A deeply emotional, world-class museum.
- Walk Maboneng – Browse street art, galleries, and cafés in the city’s creative heart.
- Enjoy a Rooftop Meal – Dine with a view at Flames or The Living Room.
- Take the Gautrain – The easiest and safest way to get from the airport to the city.
Safety & Travel Tips
Johannesburg is vibrant but complex. Plan ahead—know where you’re going, use reputable transport, and stay in well-known districts like Sandton, Rosebank, or Melrose Arch. With good planning, Joburg is as rewarding as it is enlightening.
Gateway to Safari
Johannesburg isn’t just a stopover—it’s a launchpad. From here, travelers can drive or fly to Kruger National Park, Pilanesberg Game Reserve, or Madikwe for world-class safari experiences.
Final Thoughts
Johannesburg is South Africa’s beating heart—complex, creative, and compelling. It’s a city where history meets modern luxury, where urban culture blends with green space, and where every corner tells a story of resilience and renewal.
Stay a few days before your safari, and you’ll discover why Joburg is so much more than just a gateway—it’s a destination in its own right.
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Disclosure
Some links in these show notes are affiliate links. If you use them to book, we may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. This helps support the Travel in 10 podcast and future travel coverage.
Transcript
It's a city of neighborhoods, like a series of villages separated by so much green space.
Speaker A:But Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, is actually huge.
Speaker A:If you think about the metro area, there's about 14 million people there.
Speaker A:Local people often call it Josie J O Z I.
Speaker A:And when you come to this city, you'll find shopping and upscale hotels.
Speaker A:You'll find walkable and stylish areas.
Speaker A:You'll find an urban area that has cafes and vintage shops and many other things.
Speaker A:We're going to talk about all of this today.
Speaker A:And then the best part, go to Joburg, see a few things, and then you can just drive to safari just nearby.
Speaker A:So today we're talking about Josie Joburg, Johannesburg.
Speaker A:How you doing, David?
Speaker B:I'm doing great.
Speaker B:And yeah, Johannesburg was kind of our gateway into Africa the first place we touched down, which is probably the case for a lot of people, I would think, traveling over to Africa for the first time, that it is kind of a major gateway in and as you say, kind of a jumping off point to then go explore the safaris and everything else you can do throughout the country.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's definitely the biggest gateway internationally.
Speaker A:I know that last time I was there, there were international flights from.
Speaker A:Direct flights from New York City and from Atlanta.
Speaker A:I flew from Atlanta.
Speaker A:And often, I mean, the kind of unfortunate part is that often people will fly to Johannesburg and they won't leave the airport, right?
Speaker A:They'll just hop onto a flight to Kruger or Savvy Sands or somewhere else in the country to go on safari.
Speaker A:But, but Johannesburg really is worth the stay, even if you stay two or three nights.
Speaker A:What was your, what was your impression of the city?
Speaker B:Well, that, that was exactly our experience.
Speaker B:And it's interesting you say that because I think, you know, one of the.
Speaker B:One of the questions I think people sometimes have traveling there is around safety.
Speaker B:And, you know, we.
Speaker B:We have some South African neighbors, and they actually recommended against spending any time in Johannesburg.
Speaker B:You know, their.
Speaker B:Their view was it's not a place you want to spend a lot of time.
Speaker B:But we really felt, given the history and the importance of all that's happened there, it was a place that we at least wanted to spend a couple of nights.
Speaker B:And I'm really glad we did.
Speaker B:But.
Speaker B:But I've got to say I can see what some of their concerns were on safety as well.
Speaker B:I mean, I do think it's a place you do have to.
Speaker B:You have to be aware of where you are in the city and what you're doing.
Speaker B:But there is certainly and you do feel the weight of South Africa's recent history when you were there.
Speaker B:But there, there is a lot to see and do for sure.
Speaker A:Yeah, I, I think it really, I mean I've probably been to, to Johannesburg at least 10 times, maybe 12 times.
Speaker A:And it's definitely a destination that requires a little bit of planning.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You know, you just have to kind of know where you're going to be at a certain time of day and just plan for it, you know, and, and with a little bit of planning, it's definitely a destination that has tons and tons to offer.
Speaker A:So do you want to start out with.
Speaker A:Yeah, and a big part of it is that the city has many, many interesting, upscale, beautiful hotels.
Speaker A:And I've stayed in probably six or eight different hotels in the city.
Speaker A:Do you, do you have a favorite as we dive in?
Speaker B:Yeah, we stayed in kind of quite a really nice district actually.
Speaker B:Very walkable, sort of filled with restaurants.
Speaker B:An area called Melrose Arch, which I imagine you've probably, you've probably come across on your travels as well.
Speaker B:Lots of great restaurants and stuff there.
Speaker B:We stayed at the, the Marriott there, which had a few standout features.
Speaker B:I mean they, they had one of the, the Marriott M Club lounges which if you're a Marriott member has like huge breakfasts and dinner and things there that were included.
Speaker B:A great pool area.
Speaker B:And then they also had Padel, which is kind of like, sort of like pickleball, but a little bit mixed between pickleball and racquetball.
Speaker B:They had this huge Padel club right behind the hotel, which was a great spot and something fun that we'd never done before.
Speaker B:I got to try out while we were there as well.
Speaker B:So that was one of the things that jumped to mind from, from our stay there.
Speaker B:But you have, you have experienced a lot more of the hotels throughout the city.
Speaker A:Yeah, I kind of had to pick and choose and leave a couple off the list because I've got four here and these are.
Speaker A:Yeah, four.
Speaker A:I mean the first three are definitely standouts.
Speaker A:The fourth is just kind of a, it's got a special place in my heart.
Speaker A:But the first I'm going to talk about is Leonardo, which is the tallest hotel in the country.
Speaker A:It's 55 floors.
Speaker A:It's one of the tallest, if not the tallest building in the country.
Speaker A:The coolest part I think is that it was set to be a condo complex.
Speaker A:I think that was the original plan.
Speaker A:So even the entry level rooms, which are one bedroom suites, are huge and they've got full Kitchens.
Speaker A:So you've got this beautiful view from whatever floor you're on, 48 or 50 or whatever.
Speaker A:And then you've got this huge room to relax in.
Speaker A:And then the rooftop lounge is next, next level, no pun intended.
Speaker A:And I remember going there with a friend and we were all in the rooftop lounge, 55 floors up.
Speaker A:And there was a helicopter going by and it was below us.
Speaker A:The helicopter was lower than us.
Speaker A:So really, really, you know, cool hotel.
Speaker A:And they had the only one that I've ever seen, a champagne vending machine.
Speaker A:So keep your coins, everybody.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker A:I don't know if it was Veuve Clicquot or whatever.
Speaker A:It was Cristyle or whatever, but it was a beautiful thing.
Speaker A:The Houghton Hotel, I want to mention.
Speaker A:I'm just going to reel them off here.
Speaker A:It's in a Houghton estate, which is a very leafy neighborhood.
Speaker A:Jacaranda trees, big, beautiful rooms.
Speaker A:And the hotel itself encloses a green space that includes a pool.
Speaker A:And just.
Speaker A:It feels like a little retreat within the city.
Speaker A:I mean, we both know that Johannesburg can be a very busy, sometimes harried, sometimes stressful city.
Speaker A:Houghton Hotel feels like a little retreat within the city.
Speaker A:Can't let this pass without mentioning the Four Seasons.
Speaker A:Four Seasons, the West Cliff stayed there a few years ago.
Speaker A:And again, it's everything that you would expect from Four Seasons.
Speaker A:Beautiful rooms.
Speaker A:I mean, the service is top notch.
Speaker A:I love Four Seasons, but it's up on a hilltop.
Speaker A:It's, it's, it's.
Speaker A:And the views are out over.
Speaker A:You've got all this green space, parks.
Speaker A:I mean, Jo' Burg is really surprisingly green.
Speaker A:There's a lot of parks, there's a zoo.
Speaker A:And this looks out over all of that.
Speaker A:And then you see just the high rise, the skyscraper buildings of the downtown just kind of on the horizon.
Speaker A:So you almost feel like you're, you're floating above it all, but in a different way than you would be at the Leonardo.
Speaker A:And the last one, again, special place in my heart.
Speaker A:I had a very long trip once to South Africa a few years ago, and it was a bit of a hub and spoke trip where I would stay in Joburg, rent a car, drive somewhere, come back to Joburg, drive somewhere else, come back to Joburg.
Speaker A:And my home away from home on that trip was Radisson Blu.
Speaker A:Again, just a business hotel, but has a solid nice outdoor patio space.
Speaker A:And you can walk to the Santon City.
Speaker A:It's in Santon City, which is one of the main shopping districts.
Speaker A:So you can actually Just walk out the front door, walk into the malls.
Speaker A:You know, as you said, they're, you know, about safety and stuff in South Africa.
Speaker A:You're a block away from.
Speaker A:From the mall, so nice, nice rooms.
Speaker A:So I just want to give a shout out also to Radisson Blue.
Speaker A:But yeah, want to talk about things to do in the city.
Speaker B:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker B:And for us, I would say the what to do was very much focused around some of the historical significance of the city.
Speaker B:I mean, we spent a good portion of our time there doing a tour of Soweto, one of the townships that's probably one of the most historically important areas, not just in South Africa, but I mean, it was really the kind of the center of the resistance to the apartheid movement.
Speaker B:So you get to see a lot of the.
Speaker B:The history of that and understand, you know, a lot more of the history that is.
Speaker B:Has brought South Africa to where it is today by, by spending some time there.
Speaker B:Nelson Mandela's former house is, you know, one of the main, main kind of draws there.
Speaker B:Small but powerful museum there and their.
Speaker B:Their former family home.
Speaker B:And that was definitely a highlight.
Speaker B:But I would say, and this would probably be both my, my Can't Miss and our best on the things to do.
Speaker B:The thing that I found probably the most impactful was some of the spent at the apartheid museum.
Speaker B:One of the most kind of moving and comprehensive museums that I've ever visited.
Speaker A:Yeah, I'm going to second you.
Speaker A:And my can't miss was also the apartheid museum.
Speaker A:So, you know, just.
Speaker A:It's immersive, it's emotional, takes you back to that dark era, gives you the background, and it also puts you kind of right in the middle of it.
Speaker A:I mean, I think you remember, you enter either through the white entrance or the black entrance, you know, and, you know, really, really brings it.
Speaker A:You learn about the history, the struggle, the importance.
Speaker A:I mean, of Nelson Mandela.
Speaker B:I mean, you know, I mean, he's.
Speaker A:He is really almost sainted in that country and for very good reason.
Speaker A:And so, yeah, so we're talking about our camp miss.
Speaker A:Now.
Speaker A:My camp miss Was also the apartheid museum, which is.
Speaker A:Which is definitely worthwhile, but I had a few others.
Speaker A:You know, on a much lighter note, I am a train guy.
Speaker A:I think we've talked about trains right.
Speaker A:On this before.
Speaker A:Uh, and they have a great train in Johannesburg.
Speaker A:If you're coming in, it's just from the airport.
Speaker A:If you're going flying into or Tambo, the main airport there they have something called the how train starts with a G. How Train and it's a sleek high speed train, gets you into town fast and it really gives you a great little cross section of the city.
Speaker A:As you glide into the city, uh, takes you right to Santon, where I've talked about Santon a few times.
Speaker A:And then I'll also say shopping at Sandton or in Rosebank, really great upscale shops.
Speaker A:Rosebank to me almost feels like.
Speaker A:And these are two separate neighborhoods, Santon and Rosebank.
Speaker A:Rosebank feels almost like a little village.
Speaker A:Like it's, it's almost like a, like a place apart almost with a main street, a pedestrian street, lots of great shops and cafe, cafes and restaurants.
Speaker A:I was going to mention Soweto as well.
Speaker A:And definitely that is worthwhile to go to the Nelson Mandela House.
Speaker A:I think it was the first home where he lived with Winnie, Winnie Mandela.
Speaker A:I believe you can still see bullet holes in the windows and lots of great displays.
Speaker A:So Soweto, I agree, is definitely worth it.
Speaker A:I just gotta mention two other things.
Speaker A:One is, and again my pronunciation maybe not on point, but Maboning, which means place of light.
Speaker A:And it's a creative district.
Speaker A:They took old warehouses and made them into bookshops and record stores and cafes and vintage shops.
Speaker A:They have container apartments, art galleries.
Speaker A:Really, you know, really an interesting place.
Speaker A:And one of the really excellent places.
Speaker A:I will say Johannesburg, maybe not the best city for a really good walk, you know, to walk around.
Speaker A:There are a few places, Santon and Rosebank, I'll say Mabining is also a great place for a walk to just wander and just kind of choose where you want to spend your time.
Speaker A:Get a cup of coffee here, get a little bit of lunch there, browse the books there, maybe get a record over there.
Speaker A:Really, really good.
Speaker A:And then the last recommendation is actually a walking tour with a company called Joburg360, owned by a local resident.
Speaker A:Super, super knowledgeable.
Speaker A:I believe that the tour that I did with her, it's a few years ago now, was a culinary walking tour.
Speaker A:So we visited a number of different coffee shops and restaurants and really worthwhile because she was very friendly, very knowledgeable and just, just a pleasure to be around.
Speaker A:And everybody in the group was interesting.
Speaker A:And we went to very, we went to Maing and we went to a couple different districts and had some great flavors, great history, great culture, very, very interesting.
Speaker A:So we're kind of on that topic now.
Speaker A:So David, do you want to talk?
Speaker A:I think you had maybe one or two places that you would recommend for eating.
Speaker B:Yeah, we didn't get to explore nearly as many restaurants in the city as I would like to.
Speaker B:And what I really missed, and I'm hoping you might have some good recommendations is more South African food.
Speaker B:When we were there, because I mean the place we ate was fantastic.
Speaker B:We found a great, really stylish Spanish tapas spot called La Parada, which was in that Melrose Arch district, which Melrose Arch has a lot of really nice kind of international restaurants.
Speaker B:A lot of atmosphere at night.
Speaker B:So I would definitely recommend it from that perspective.
Speaker B:But what you're not getting and what we missed out on was really that local feel and local perspective.
Speaker B:So I know you've spent a lot more time there, so would love to hear some of the.
Speaker B:Your favorites.
Speaker B:And one thing I'm curious about too.
Speaker B:Did you ever make it?
Speaker B:I'd read about some great markets and stuff in the city that we never made it to.
Speaker B:Did you get a chance to make it to any of those?
Speaker A:I will say I also didn't make it there in Durban.
Speaker A:I went to a big public market.
Speaker A:I've been to some public markets down in Cape Town, Johannesburg.
Speaker A:I never did make it to a public market, but I definitely have culinary recommendations.
Speaker A:So you were talking about South African food.
Speaker A:There is a great restaurant in Rosebank called Marble.
Speaker A:Marble Restaurant, very upscale.
Speaker A:Linen tablecloths, fine dining.
Speaker A:But the focus is on local South African ingredients, which is, you know, so I mean they've got everything there, right?
Speaker A:They've got livestock and seafood.
Speaker A:So they've got steak, seafood, lamb, great wines from within the country.
Speaker A:So definitely recommend Marble.
Speaker A:Couple others.
Speaker A:There's a restaurant I remember going to in again in Santa.
Speaker A:I spent a lot of time in Santon in that neighborhood.
Speaker A:There's an Italian restaurant called Saint, Saint Restaurant.
Speaker A:And for me the, the, the focus there was the grill.
Speaker A:I mean they had pasta, they had all that kind of stuff.
Speaker A:But probably the best bone marrow I've ever had.
Speaker A:Really, really good bone marrow at Saint.
Speaker A:Quick shout out for two other places, Uncle Merv's, which is a place that I encountered on that culinary walking tour.
Speaker A:Just a local coffee shop, but excellent, excellent coffee.
Speaker A:And then there's a place called the Living Room, which is in the neighborhood that's right next to Maboning.
Speaker A:I don't remember the name of the neighborhood, but it's an open.
Speaker A:Again an open air patio in the, really the.
Speaker A:One of the urban core areas of Johannesburg.
Speaker A:And but the patio, this open air patio is just up above it all.
Speaker A:So I remember that's where we finished the culinary walking tour and you just felt like after being in the hustle and bustle of the city.
Speaker A:You were just up above it all and breathing fresh air.
Speaker A:Handcrafted cocktails, small plates.
Speaker A:Really, really a great place to eat.
Speaker A:And then one last recommendation is a place called Flames.
Speaker A:And this is at the Four Seasons, a great restaurant on its own.
Speaker A:Even if you're not staying at the Four Seasons, definitely worth going to this restaurant.
Speaker A:And the steaks are fantastic.
Speaker A:I mean, all the food is fantastic, as you would expect with Four Seasons.
Speaker A:But the views, I mean, again, out over all that green space, the city, the urban core of the city, just shimmering on the horizon.
Speaker A:And yeah, I can't think of a better place to enjoy a nice dinner and just watch, you know, if you go there for an early dinner, watch the light of the day ebb away, you know, the sky turning to purple and then black.
Speaker A:I mean, it's just an amazing place.
Speaker B:So, yeah, now I'm going to put you a bit on.
Speaker B:On the spot here as we close it out, because I know we.
Speaker B:We've already talked about our, Our.
Speaker B:Our can't miss.
Speaker B:But I'm curious.
Speaker B:I mean, you've spent a lot more time in South Africa than I have, and I think a lot of people, when you're planning a trip there, you've got one of two gateways, right?
Speaker B:And depending on international flights, you're likely either flying in through Johannesburg or you're flying in through Cape Town.
Speaker B:If you can only do one of the two, which.
Speaker B:Which are you doing?
Speaker A:I'm going to demur.
Speaker A:I'm going to demur.
Speaker B:I'm going to say both.
Speaker A:I mean, it's.
Speaker A:I mean, Cape Town.
Speaker A:I mean, Cape Town's an amazing place.
Speaker A:It really is an amazing place.
Speaker A:But I feel like a lot of the focus goes to Cape Town, and with good reason.
Speaker A:I mean, it really is a beautiful, beautiful city.
Speaker A:I feel like Johannesburg is a little bit more undiscovered.
Speaker A:I think it's a little bit more work.
Speaker A:You know, you have to sort of figure out the places that are going to be good.
Speaker A:You have to figure out how to get there, and you have to do a little bit more planning.
Speaker A:Cape Town, you know, you to the waterfront, you go out to the line regions, everything's right there.
Speaker A:But I will say, I mean, I think.
Speaker A:I think Joburg is really worthwhile.
Speaker A:So I'm going to demur and say both.
Speaker B:Fly in one, fly out the other.
Speaker A:Fly in one, fly out the other.
Speaker A:That's the perfect plan.
Speaker A:I can't think of a better plan than that.
Speaker B:There you go.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:Well, great to talk to you as always, Tim, and look forward to catching up again next week.
Speaker B:And hopefully if people are enjoying our content from around the world, they can take a moment, drop us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you're listening listening to our podcast.
Speaker B:And check out all of our podcasts from around the world@boyescape.com Perfect.
Speaker A:Great chatting with you, David.
