Johannesburg Central has had its share of stigma. Following the repeal of the Group Areas Act in the 1990s, thousands of people who had been prohibited from residing in the city centre—many of them immigrants from war-torn African countries and others from neighbouring black townships—moved there. Businesses migrated to Sandton and the northern suburbs as crime rates increased and the condition of many downtown buildings deteriorated. The city’s centre started to cause issues.
However, the administration moved quickly to revitalize the city centre. The inner city is being revitalized by drastic crime reduction measures, a comprehensive urban development initiative, and a tax incentive program designed to promote inner-city renewal. Just the beginning was the stunning Nelson Mandela bridge, which spans the Market Theatre, hailed as the city’s cultural hub.
The draft inner city charter is very comprehensive and commits to 77 deadlines that will make Johannesburg central a safe, prosperous, and livable city. These designs include 50 000 reasonably priced apartments and 5000 short-term housing units. To make the streets of Johannesburg walkable, there are also plans for more visible policing, street renovations, and tree planting.
The inner city of Johannesburg is lively, and things change constantly. Even though parts of the city may have been “off limits” for the past ten years, Newtown’s revitalization and the private reconstruction of old office buildings in the city’s financial centre have made the city more appealing. The planetarium and the Johannesburg Fort, a tour of the former prison fort where well-known campaigners were imprisoned, are two other attractions.
Johannesburg Central Map
One of the principal business districts in Johannesburg, South Africa, is known as the Central Business District or Johannesburg CBD. It is the densest collection of skyscrapers in Africa, however, due to urban degradation and white flight, many of the buildings are empty as tenants have moved to more secure areas in the Northern Suburbs, especially Sandton and Rosebank.
Things To Do In Johannesburg Central
See The Department of Historical Papers
The University of the Witwatersrand’s William Cullen Library is home to the Department of Historical Papers, which was founded in 1966. One of Southern Africa’s biggest and most complete independent archives is Historical Papers. In order to recover the rich historical heritage that belongs to all South Africans, the department serves as a distinctive and easily accessible focus for human rights research.
Over 3000 unique collections of historical, political, and cultural significance are currently held by the historical documents department. The records of several human rights NGOs, unions, labour federations, political parties, organizations for women, churches and church bodies, as well as the papers of human rights advocates, are all included. Many of these documents detail battles from the first half of the 20th century up to the present.
Visit the James Hall Museum of Transport
Take a trip to the James Hall Museum of Transportation. The late Jimmie Hall and the City of Johannesburg founded this, the largest and most thorough land-transport museum in South Africa, in February 1964.
The museum displays many modes of land transportation, including electric vehicles and the Model T Ford as well as ox-wagons, coaches and carts, bicycles, motorbikes, tractors, fire engines, buses, trams, and trains. Visit the James Hall Museum of Transport for more details.
Watch an Orlando Pirates Soccer Match
The Orlando Pirates are the oldest football team in South Africa. They were founded in 1937 in Orlando East, Soweto, and their accomplishments over the years have inspired young soccer players to strive to play the Beautiful Game at the highest level while wearing the “Buccaneers” black and white uniforms.
Watch them battle rivals at Coca-Cola Park, where they call home. Tickets are available at the door or online at computicket.com. Dress as an Orlando Pirates fan in all-black, and don’t forget to bring your vuvuzela (noisemaker) and a positive attitude to encourage the winners.