Apartheid Museum
Museum that tells the story of apartheid and the struggle against it through film, photographs and documents. Its displays are moving and take a couple of hours to see properly.
Johannesburg
Business hub and main air gateway, this city holds Constitution Hill, Soweto and the Apartheid Museum.
Attractive locations
Constitution Hill
A former prison complex in Braamfontein where Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi were both held, now home to South Africa's Constitutional Court. Tours of the old cells tell the story of the struggle for rights.
Mandela House
Small house on Vilakazi Street in Soweto where Nelson Mandela once lived. It is now a museum with family photographs and personal items from his early years.
Hector Pieterson Museum
Museum in Soweto about the student uprising of 1976. Photographs, film and personal accounts explain the events and honour a young boy who was killed.
Regina Mundi Church
Large Catholic church in Soweto that sheltered protesters during the 1976 uprising. Visitors can see its interior, which still shows marks of those events. It remains a place of worship.
Gold Reef City
Amusement park themed on the gold-rush era beside a former gold mine. Besides the rides, there are old-style streets and an underground mine tour.
MuseuMAfricA
Museum in the Newtown cultural district, set in a former market building. Exhibitions cover the history of Johannesburg and its people, as well as rock art and local cultures.
Market Theatre
Theatre complex in Newtown, known for plays that challenged apartheid. It still stages local drama, music and dance, and has cafes and galleries nearby.
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden
Botanical garden on the western edge of the city, with a waterfall, rocky ridges and highveld plants. Birds of prey nest on its cliffs, and walking trails wind through the grounds.
Cradle of Humankind
A UNESCO World Heritage area northwest of Johannesburg where many important early human fossils have been found. Visitors tour the Sterkfontein Caves and a museum about human origins.
Liliesleaf Farm
A suburban farm that served as a secret base of the anti-apartheid movement until police raided it in 1963 and arrested key leaders. It is now a museum with a restored house and exhibits.
Airports
O.R. Tambo International Airport JNB
It is about 22 km in a straight line from Johannesburg.
Lanseria International Airport HLA
It is about 32 km in a straight line from Johannesburg.
Getting around
OR Tambo and Gautrain
People leaving OR Tambo have been followed and robbed by criminals, sometimes at gunpoint, says UK travel advice, which also notes that the Gautrain connects Johannesburg, Pretoria and OR Tambo International Airport. Its suggestions are to stay on main roads, move quickly through public areas of the airport and have your hotel or tour operator meet you. It adds that you should not walk to or from Gautrain stations after dark.
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: South Africa, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Gautrain and Rea Vaya
The Gautrain rail network connects Johannesburg, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni and OR Tambo International Airport, according to South Africa's tourism board, and the Gautrain website offers downloadable routes for its own bus service. UK advice counts the Gautrain as one of the generally safer, more dependable ways to travel, while warning against walking to or from Gautrain stations after dark.
- Source: South African Tourism: using public transport (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Gautrain: official website (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: South Africa, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Gautrain and Rea Vaya cards
Gautrain cards can be bought, topped up online and linked to an account so you can check the balance, according to the Gautrain website. It also lists a pay-as-you-go option for a single trip, refers to contactless bank cards, and has links to a fare guide and a fare calculator. For Rea Vaya, the City of Johannesburg says account-based ticketing cards are sold at all Rea Vaya stations.
- Source: Gautrain: official website (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: City of Johannesburg: Rea Vaya news (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Scams and safe taxis
Street taxis and metered taxis
Rather than hailing a taxi on the street, Canadian advice says to take only licensed taxis chosen through a reputable hotel or restaurant, and never to share a ride with strangers. UK advice reports violence arising from tensions with metered taxi drivers, particularly around Gautrain stations and at airports.
- Source: Government of Canada travel advice: South Africa (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: UK FCDO travel advice: South Africa, safety and security (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan21.6 °C122 mm
- Feb21.4 °C82 mm
- Mar19.9 °C73 mm
- Apr16.7 °C43 mm
- May13.3 °C16 mm
- Jun10.0 °C7 mm
- Jul9.9 °C3 mm
- Aug13.1 °C7 mm
- Sep17.3 °C16 mm
- Oct19.9 °C57 mm
- Nov20.7 °C89 mm
- Dec21.5 °C127 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Jan, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 42% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
sport
ICC Cricket World Cup 2027
South Africa stages most of the matches in the Cricket World Cup.
Official siteWho can help
Emergency
112 from a mobile phone. Police 10111. Ambulance 10177.
local government
South African Police Service (Crime Stop line)
Helps with: Anonymous crime tip-off line. For a police emergency dial 10111, or 112 from a mobile.
Who qualifies: Anyone in South Africa, including visitors, who needs to report a crime.
Phone: 08600 10111
local government
National Department of Tourism call centre
Helps with: South Africa's national tourism department. The government help-line directory lists its tourism call centre for visitor and tourism enquiries.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in South Africa or planning a trip there.
Phone: 0860 868 747
ngo
South African Red Cross Society
Helps with: South Africa's national Red Cross society. It lists a free, confidential service to reconnect people with missing relatives, plus disaster response and first aid training.
Who qualifies: People in South Africa who need its family-tracing, disaster relief or first aid training services.
Phone: +27 10 022 4197
Email: redcross@redcross.org.za
Address: 5 Ryder Road, Randburg, Johannesburg
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) South Africa
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in South Africa since 1995. It works on migration management, crisis response and partnerships; its office is in Pretoria.
Who qualifies: Migrants and governments working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +27 12 342 2789
Email: IOMPretoria2@iom.int
Address: Building 4 Walker Creek Office Park, 25 Nicolson Street, Bailey's Muckleneuk, Pretoria 0181
embassy
Foreign embassies and consulates in South Africa (official list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or high commission. The foreign ministry's page lists each mission, with addresses, phones and emails.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy, high commission or consulate.
local government
National Disaster Management Centre
Helps with: South Africa's national disaster management centre, based in Centurion. Its contact page gives a main office number and email, and links to a disaster contact list.
Who qualifies: Anyone needing to contact the national disaster management authority. No public hotline is shown on its page.
Phone: 012 065 0969
Email: enquiries@ndmc.gov.za
Address: Riverside Office Park Letaba Building, 2nd Floor, 1303 Heuwel Avenue, Centurion, 0157
local government
City of Johannesburg Emergency Connect
Helps with: The City of Johannesburg's emergency line, listed for ambulance, fire, metro police and disaster management. The city page also lists 10111 for police emergencies nationwide.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Johannesburg, residents and visitors alike.
Phone: 011 375 5911
local government
Emergency number 112 from mobile phones
Helps with: Reaches emergency services for all emergencies when called from a mobile phone. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 112
local government
Police emergency number 10111
Helps with: Reaches the police. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 10111
local government
Ambulance and fire emergency number 10177
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance and fire services. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 10177