Where to stay in Johannesburg

See

The poor reputation of the Central Business District (CBD) is no longer deserved. There are numerous galleries and art spaces popping up across the CBD. The city centre is the most-visited part of Johannesburg for African tourists, particularly the traders who come to shop at Johannesburg's wholesale outlets. Newtown and the Market Theatre area (the city's cultural precinct) is now easily accessible from the highway and Mandela Bridge and very fun; here you will find live music venues and bars too. Braamfontein, the university area, has a great Saturday market, lively night life, is very artsy. By day there's nothing here.

Do

• City Sightseeing

Eat

Johannesburg has a wide variety of places to eat and you'll be sure to find something to suit your taste buds, be it local delicacies or international cuisines. In addition to standard South African shopping mall restaurants Johannesburg is one of the few cities with various 'restaurant streets' scattered around the suburbs offering a more European dining experience.

Drink

Good pubs and clubs are available in the Melville student district, Braamfontein, Rosebank and the Newtown cultural precinct. Posh and upmarket clubbing happens in the Rivonia and Sandton area.

Stay safe

Johannesburg has stubbornly high crime levels. Armed security guards (not necessarily the police) are a common sight in the city. Ask local people, such as your hotel staff, on what to do and when to do it. Johannesburg earned its lawless reputation during the 1980s when the apartheid regime was collapsing. However things have improved enormously since those days with in large part all communities residing peacefully and in unity, although the advice you may receive from some Johannesburg residents may not match today’s reality. Nevertheless you should keep security in mind and tourists must remain alert at all times when in unfamiliar surroundings.