Things to Do in Johannesburg

Johannesburg was founded in 1886 after gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand Basin, transforming it from a small settlement into Africa's largest city in just a few decades.

The city sits at 1,753 metres (5,751 feet) above sea level, making it one of the world's highest major cities and affecting how visitors acclimatise to the altitude.

Soweto (South Western Townships) is a sprawling township of over 1 million residents where Nelson Mandela lived and where much of the anti-apartheid struggle took place.

Johannesburg's Apartheid Museum, opened in 2002, is built on the site of a former prison and gold mine, serving as a global reference point for understanding racial segregation history.

The city is home to the Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 50km northwest containing the Sterkfontein Caves, where some of humanity's oldest hominid fossils were discovered.

Constitutional Hill, the site of a former prison complex, now houses the Constitutional Court and represents South Africa's transition to democracy, with exhibits on human rights.