15 Amazing Facts about the city of Johannesburg

By Samuella99 – Wikimedia

15 Amazing Facts about the city of Johannesburg

South Africa, popularly known as the rainbow nation, is a beautiful country. The people are amazing, warm and love life. This country has nine cities and I will be highlighting one of them.

Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa making it one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world.

Popularly known as Joburg, the city is a must-see and you will at least pass through this city during your trip.

The city is full of historical and cultural landmarks. There are amazing things to learn about this city also known as the city of gold.

Here are the 15 amazing facts.

1. Johannesburg was started in the late 19^th century

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Johannesburg was founded in 1886. This after the European settlers struck gold in a local farm in 1884.

It started what is now known as the Witwatersrand Gold Rush that attracted more than 1,000 white settlers.

A decade later, the population of the town had grown to 100,000. Today, Johannesburg is home to more than 8 million people. This makes it the largest city in South Africa.

Locals fondly call this city Jo’burg, Jozi and Egoli.

2. Its name might be a bit controversial

When the Europeans moved to South Africa, most of them had the name, Johannes. These people were actively involved in the growth of the city.

One of the prominent persons going by the name Johannes was the surveyor-general Hendrik Dercksen Christiaan Johannes Joubert. He was a member of the Volksraad and was the Republic’s chief of mining.

Unfortunately, there are no officials records that state the origin and choice of name.

3. Johannesburg is the biggest city in South Africa

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Data collected in 2016 estimated that Johannesburg has a population of 6.4 million people. This is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world. It is also the 2nd biggest city in Africa.

Johannesburg is the financial and industrial metropolis of South Africa, coming from a rich history of gold mining.

4. Apartheid Museum is found in Johannesburg

To get a good understanding of Apartheid in South Africa, a visit to The Apartheid Museum is a must.

It gives a clear and graphic image of apartheid through photos, artefacts, newspaper clippings, distressing personal accounts, and film footage.

While walking through the exhibits, one can feel the emotional journey of black South Africans during Apartheid. It shows the struggle and path taken to democracy.

5. This city is Africa’s economic powerhouse

Johannesburg is often described as Africa’s economic powerhouse. It has more than one business central districts such as Sandton, Rosebank and Roodepoort.

International corporations have their headquarters in this city. Johannesburg Securities Exchange, the country’s only stock exchange market is among the top 20 in the world.  

6. The architecture in Johannesburg is modern

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Johannesburg is home to some of the continent’s tallest structures. These structures are the Sentech Tower, Hillbrow Tower, the Carlton Centre and Ponte City Apartments.

The city’s skyline is also defined by several international organisations such as IBM, Absa, BHP Billiton, Willis Group, First National Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank.

Older structures were pulled down and modern ones built. The central business district is dominated by four styles of architecture, Victorian Colonial, Edwardian Baroque, Art Deco and Modernism.

7. Soweto is part of Johannesburg

Soweto is some 20 kilometres southwest of Johannesburg. The area was set apart for planned segregation. Black labourers were living here in shacks made of corrugated iron.

It was the birthplace of the struggle for democracy. In 1976, there was an attempt to overthrow the apartheid state.

These two cities were joined in 1994 making Soweto a part of Johannesburg. The former collection of settlements outside Johannesburg was upgraded to a city.

8. It is the most populous city in South Africa

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Johannesburg metropolis is an alpha global city as listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network.

Its population according to the 2019 report indicates that there were 66.4 people in the city.

The urban population of the city was 8 million people.

9. The largest man-made forest is found in Johannesburg

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The largest man-made forest is located in Johannesburg. There are over 6 million trees in the city.

Most of the trees found in this city are not indigenous since Johannesburg used to be a grassland.

These trees were planted to support the mines, most of them are blue gum. The greenhouse effect is a thing of the past in this city thanks to this urban forest.

10. Johannesburg one of the greenest cities in the world

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It is estimated that there are 6 million trees in the city with the number growing every year by1.2 million on pavements and sidewalks.

Further, 4.8 million trees have been grown in private gardens. A popular recreational park in this city is Johannesburg Botanical Garden.

11. The biggest hospital in Africa is found in Johannesburg

Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It is the largest hospital in Africa and the third-largest hospital in the world. The hospital has 6,760 staff members, 3,400 beds and occupies 170 acres.

The hospital is found in the Soweto area south of Johannesburg. It is one of the 40 Gauteng provincial hospitals and is a teaching hospital for the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School.

12. OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg is the largest and busiest in Africa

O.R. Tambo airport in Johannesburg is the biggest and busiest airport in Africa. the airport receives over 21 million people annually and processes up to 28 million people.

It serves as the primary airport for both domestic and international travel to and from South Africa.

The airport was originally known as Jan Smuts International Airport, after the former South African Prime Minister.

13. Mandela Museum is one of the most visited museums in Johannesburg

The Nelson Mandela National Museum usually referred to as the Mandela House, is in Soweto.

It is found on Vilakazi Street, Orlando West, Soweto, South Africa. The former president Nelson Mandela lived here from 1946 to 1962.

Mandela donated the house to the Soweto Heritage Trust on 1 September 1997, to be run as a museum.

It was declared a National Heritage Site in 1999.

14. 40% of human fossils were found in Johannesburg

 Johannesburg is a rich archaeological site known as the Cradle of Humankind located on the outskirts of the city.

About 40% of the world’s fossils were discovered in Johannesburg. Most fossils were found in a place known as the Cradle of Humankind.

It was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

15. This city has the world’s deepest mine

Johannesburg started as a mining town. This means that it was one of the mines dug here is the deepest.

The mining shaft of this mine extends down to 4 kilometres below the surface. It might take about one hour to get to the bottom.

It is the most extensive gold mines in the world.