#Travel - South Africa Part 2 JOHANNESBURG

In Part 1 we looked at some general bits & pieces on South Africa and concluded that the current exchange-rate elevates South Africa to the top of the to-do pile & especially so for any prospective traveler worth his / her travel-boots. In this post we'll take a closer look at Johannesburg, South Africa's economic hub and mega-metropolis.

Johannesburg was originally founded in the open pits of the world's richest gold seam. The rigours & demands that characterise gold-fever eventually gave rise to other amenities which serviced the mines & the people who worked them. In time Johannesburg flourished. Since then the gold mines have passed into history, an obscurity denied by the remnants of this once-thriving industry currently dotting the skyline. Gold Reef City, a local amusement park, facilitates underground tours into a pseudo-working mine. It's not for the faint of heart or for the claustrophobic but well worth the admission fee.

The Black Madonna

Acknowledged as the epicentre of the political struggle, Johannesburg was brought to the world's attention during the Soweto Uprisings of 1976. SOWETO, an English syllabic abbreviation for the South Western Township, is now incorporated into Johannesburg but was formerly a demographically-separate municipality bordering the gold-mining belt; cheap-accommodation for the thousands of African migrants working the mines. In 1976 students, protesting against being taught in Afrikaans, rather than in English, were fired on by police. 21 people died on that first day including Hector Pieterson who was tragically immortalised in a press photograph. Economic & cultural isolation was internationally proposed, as a result, and sanctioned a short-time later. Those pressures later culminated in the dismantling of apartheid in 1994, an event that reverberated around the world & recognised South Africa for the conciliatory nature of her peoples.

Regina Mundi - heart of the anti-apartheid movement

Today's cultural tours to Soweto celebrate the region's political history by acknowledging its people; a people thrust into close-proximity; press-ganged from the corners of Africa, mostly on the false promise of a disenfranchised pot-of-gold. Demographics, language, architecture, cuisine and an eclectic nightlife reflect this cultural kaleidoscope. The experience is both unique and humbling. Visitors are encouraged to actively participate in one of the many local social-upliftment schemes. The work is necessary; the experience unforgettable. Other highlights include a visit to the Regina Mundi Church, host of many illegal meetings of the then struggle hierarchy. The scars of battle pock the church to this day. Vilakazi Street, Soweto's most famous thoroughfare and originally home to two of Africa's favourite sons, the Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and the late Nelson Mandela, offers world-class cuisine & and an unmatched nightlife. Paradoxically Soweto is unheralded, in many ways, for its contribution to South Africa's modern society. Tales of bravery, empathy and shoe-string ingenuity, across the colour spectrum, are mostly forgotten or not afforded a more deserving prominence, particularly by visiting members of the international community who are, more often than not, commercial victims of a weak itinerary.

Nambitha on Vilakazi st - a must-visit

In central & northern Johannesburg the economic consequences of the historical divide are made obvious in the structural development of the city itself. Architectural history is a reflection of its colonial past. Informal settlements cater for the very poor and attract an influx of politically displaced migrants; particularly from neighbouring Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe boasts the highest level of literacy in Africa and an unmatched work-ethic. As a consequence Zimbabwean immigrants are often preferred by employers recruiting for the formal sector; a fact not lost on the local, unemployed community. These settlements, as a result, remain a hotbed of ethnic discontent and are the source of many, often violent, service-delivery protests.

Elsewhere modern architecture shapes the skyline; boasts a 1st-world infrastructure and provides a foil of luxury against the socio-economic conundrum plaguing South Africa generally. Class-leading hospitality outlets, a broad spectrum of technologies & modern retail amenities are unapologetic & super-luxurious where applicable. Popular tourist hot-spots include Sandton City | Rosebank Mall | Hyde-Park Corner | Melrose Arch; a plethora of upmarket casinos, theatres and a smorgasbord of world-leading hotels and restaurants. Local culture, upmarket-cuisine, live-performances and the fine arts are well-represented.

Serviced by O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg is traditionally considered a convenient gateway into the rest of South Africa or, more specifically, as a lay-over, outward-bound, to the wildlife sanctuaries, further east or to Cape Town, further south. The idea that Johannesburg lacks the charisma of our coastal cities is understated, wholly inaccurate and is, generally, a gross disservice to the intelligent traveler who finds solace / inspiration outside the ordinary. More in Part 3 as we journey east.