JOHANNESBURG

Leafy Jo’burg’s treasures extend well beyond its historic gold mines, from arts districts bedecked with murals to a rejuvenated inner-city park and exciting dining venues

- Jess Nicholson

Johannesburg was built upon a reef of gold. The lustrous treasure pulses through the city’s veins — it’s what brought European prospectors to this part of South Africa in the late 19th century. Today, it’s still the draw for many new settlers who see themselves as Dick Whittingtons in a city of opportunity. But for all the gold that’s passed through the city, Jo’burg’s enduring colour is green: while there may be no sea here, no mountain or grand river to draw the eye, the city is awash with trees. So many, in fact, that they’re estimated to outnumber humans more than two to one, making the city one of the most wooded in the world. Yet, even this urban forest is a byproduct of the gold rush: mineshafts needed wood; homesick colonialists wanted garden suburbs.

These days, the parks provide pockets of shady peace amid an eclectic mix of buildings. In the inner city, Edwardian and art deco buildings squeeze between imposing modern structures. The architecture in Sandton (dubbed the ‘richest square mile in Africa’) is sky-high, and the lavish properties of Sandhurst stand in contrast to gritty apartment neighbourhoods like Hillbrow or sprawling townships such as Soweto. Looked at from afar, the houses of the latter — once home to a young Nelson Mandela — appear like matchboxes compared to the thrusting buildings of downtown.