Hotels in Johannesburg

Johannesburg: Gold Rush Capital of the Highveld

Johannesburg — locally called Jozi or Egoli (City of Gold) — was founded in 1886 after gold was struck on the Witwatersrand reef. Today it is South Africa's largest city, home to roughly 6 million people across Gauteng province, sitting 1,753 metres above sea level on a flat, tree-lined plateau. The Sandton CBD functions as sub-Saharan Africa's financial hub, while the regenerated Maboneng Precinct draws designers, galleries, and street-food traders to the inner east. Soweto, 15 km south-west, anchors historical visits: Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world to have housed two Nobel Peace Prize laureates — Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Where to Stay in Johannesburg

Hotels cluster in four zones. Sandton offers 4-star and 5-star properties within walking distance of the Gautrain station, which runs to OR Tambo International Airport in under 15 minutes. Rosebank suits mid-range travellers, sitting one Gautrain stop south of Sandton beside the Zone shopping mall. Melrose Arch is a mixed-use precinct preferred by business guests. Budget hotels concentrate in Braamfontein, close to the Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill.

Practical Tips

• Airport transfer: Gautrain from OR Tambo to Sandton costs approximately R200 and takes 14 minutes.
• Getting around: Metered taxis and Uber are safer than minibus taxis for visitors unfamiliar with routes.
• Altitude: At 1,753 m, afternoon thunderstorms are common October–February; pack a light layer.
• Currency: South African Rand (ZAR); card acceptance is wide in Sandton and Rosebank.