Suburbs of Johannesburg
Encyclopedia
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. As in other Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
countries, the term suburb refers to a "neighbourhood", although the term has a somewhat stronger meaning in South Africa as most (but not all) "suburbs" have legally recognised borders (see legal definition of township) and often (but not always) separate postal codes. The municipal functions for the area, such as municipal policing and social services, are still managed by either the local region
Regions of Johannesburg
The administration of Johannesburg was decentralised into 11 regions following the creation of the post-apartheid City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in 2000...
or the city government
City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa...
.
Johannesburg, like many other boom towns, grew rapidly and with little planning, and thus the city covers an extremely large area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
. The main differences between the city's suburbs tend to be socioeconomic: The wealthy live to the north of the City Centre in the northern suburbs, while the poor live to the south and on the fringes of the city in townships
Township (South Africa)
In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
. Many people see themselves as being a resident of their suburb first and foremost to being a resident of Johannesburg secondarily.
History
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mines
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
on the Witwatersrand
Witwatersrand
The Witwatersrand is a low, sedimentary range of hills, at an elevation of 1700–1800 metres above sea-level, which runs in an east-west direction through Gauteng in South Africa. The word in Afrikaans means "the ridge of white waters". Geologically it is complex, but the principal formations...
. However, the population of Johannesburg increased rapidly and the city quickly established formal neighbourhoods, most of which were racially mixed as labourers lived together. The earliest formal settlement to house people of all races, Kliptown, is located near today's Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
.
The Central Business District
Central Business District (Johannesburg)
The Central Business District, commonly called Johannesburg CBD, is one of the main business centres of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the most dense collection of skyscrapers in Africa, however due to white flight and urban blight, many of the buildings are unoccupied as tenants have left for...
(CBD) grew rapidly in the early 1900s as many formal European style buildings were constructed, such as the city's main post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. The Central Business District was the first part of the city to be built in a grid, which was designed around the major road known as Commissioner Street
Commissioner Street (Johannesburg)
Commissioner Street is a major one-way street in the Central Business District of Johannesburg, South Africa. It runs from the M31 to the M1, and is indicated as the R24. The Carlton Centre is located on the street, as is the southern end of Newtown....
, which served as the central artery for the city. During this time period, the city invested in street cars, which mostly served to connect wealthier white suburbs with the CBD. Physical growth, although somewhat limited by transportation, continued quickly as immigration to South Africa, and Johannesburg in particular, increased dramatically.
This problem was solved in the 1930s when the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
was introduced in mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
to South Africa. Automobiles were, for the most part, confined to the wealthy, and permitted them to move to the north of the city and commute
Commuting
Commuting is regular travel between one's place of residence and place of work or full time study. It sometimes refers to any regular or often repeated traveling between locations when not work related.- History :...
into the centre. The South African economy
Economy of South Africa
The economy of South Africa is the largest in Africa, accounts for 24% of its Gross Domestic Product in terms of PPP, and is ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank, which makes the country one of only four countries in Africa represented in this category...
did extremely well at the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and many new immigrants came to South Africa from Europe. Most poor suburbs were mixed, with poor blacks and whites living together, although the wealthy suburbs were usually reserved for whites. This changed with the election of the National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
in the 1948 elections, who began to formalise the system known as apartheid. Apartheid formally designated which suburbs each race could live in under the Group Areas Act
Group Areas Act
The Group Areas Act of 1950 was an act of parliament created under the apartheid government of South Africa on 27th April 1950. The act assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system of urban apartheid...
.
Consequently, the city was divided into white and black suburbs. The white suburbs were mostly wealthy and well-developed, and located in the nicest areas in the Johannesburg region. Black South Africans lived in poorly developed townships
Township (South Africa)
In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
and suburbs out of view of the white suburbs. Many large freeways were built to link Johannesburg with the rest of South Africa, although this permitted the further outward expansion of the city along the N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
, N3
N3 (South Africa)
The N3 is a National Route in South Africa, connecting Johannesburg and Durban, respectively South Africa's largest and third-largest cities. Johannesburg is the financial and commercial heartland of South Africa, while Durban is South Africa's key port and one of the busiest ports in the Southern...
, and M2
M2 (Johannesburg)
The M2 is a major highway in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is named the Francois Oberholzer Freeway. It runs just to the South of the Central Business District eastwards where it connects with the N3 . The north-south M1 intersects with the M2 just to the east of the CBD....
roadways. Public transport construction was completely abandoned, except for a minor bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
system.
This system continued until the 1980s, when international sanctions
International sanctions
International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally.There are several types of sanctions....
and a poor security situation lead to a large contraction in the economy. Many companies abandoned skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s that had been built in the Central Business District (CBD) in the 1960s and 1970s, and left warehouses empty or little used.
When the Group Areas Act was repealed, there was a mass migration of former township dwellers and illegal immigrants to buildings in the CBD and surrounding areas, which caused crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
rates to increase dramatically in the Central area of the city. Many businesses that had not closed their CBD offices left for more secured Northern suburbs, and in particular, Sandton. The amount of business and population of the northern suburbs increased exponentially, while the CBD was left empty and abandoned as a "no-go zone". The previous owners of buildings in the CBD abandoned them as their value decreased, and more illegal immigrants moved in. Many suburbs near the CBD also felt the demographic change as previously white and middle class suburbs like Yeoville
Yeoville, Gauteng
Yeoville is a suburb of Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. It is located in Region F .-Founding:Yeoville was proclaimed as a suburb in 1890 by Thomas Yeo Sherwell, who came from Yeovil in the United Kingdom...
became mostly black and dangerous within the space of two to three years.
The city government
City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is a metropolitan municipality that manages the local governance of Johannesburg, South Africa...
has attempted to rectify this situation as of 2005 by installing CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
camera
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
s all over the city centre, and increasing police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
presence. Some businesses and residents have returned, although most businesses have built permanent and better facilities in the northern suburbs, so a large-scale return is unlikely. The city has grown so quickly to the north that the border between Johannesburg, Midrand
Midrand, Gauteng
Midrand is an area in central Gauteng Province, South Africa, between Centurion and Sandton. It was established as a municipality in 1981, but was incorporated the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in 2000...
, and Centurion
Centurion, Gauteng
Centurion is an area with 279,430 inhabitants in Gauteng Province of South Africa, located between Pretoria and Midrand . Formerly an independent municipality, with its own town council, it is now part of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality...
is mostly an arbitrary political border, as the two cities have grown together so there is no space between them.
Regions
The city of Johannesburg is divided into seven regions for administrative purposes, lettered from A to G. The previous system of eleven numbered regions was reorganised in 2006.Inner city
Bertrams, Gauteng
Bertrams is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8. Bertrams is a crime ridden neighbourhood, close to Ellis Park Stadium. Unemployment is high in this council owned area....
, to the somewhat stable commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
area of Braamfontein
Braamfontein
Braamfontein is a central suburb of Johannesburg, in South Africa. It is well located, straddling Jan Smuts Avenue and Empire Road. The Nelson Mandela bridge is a landmark that connects Braamfontein to the city...
. The estimated population of the region is 200,000, but the number of people living in the inner city on an informal basis is unknown, as many are illegal immigrants. Most higher-income residents and white people have moved to the northern suburbs and have been replaced by lower-income black people. The unemployment, education, and age profiles of the area are all unknown, due to the difficulty of obtaining reliable information about the area. There have been significant movements to revitalise the CBD
Central Business District (Johannesburg)
The Central Business District, commonly called Johannesburg CBD, is one of the main business centres of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is the most dense collection of skyscrapers in Africa, however due to white flight and urban blight, many of the buildings are unoccupied as tenants have left for...
, most of which have focused on the reduction of crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
, especially street crime
Street crime
Street crime is a loose term for criminal offences taking place in public places. It has moved to occupy the place once held by mugging. According to London's Metropolitan Police Force, street crime is:...
in the central area, and the redevelopment of Newtown
Newtown, Gauteng
Newtown is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8. Newtown is currently being developed into a vibrant, mixed-use area with a unique character based on existing cultural facilities - the indelible Kippies, the world renowned Market Theatre, SAB World of Beer, Moyo...
as a cultural hub for the city.
Centred around the CBD, the region includes the suburbs of Yeoville
Yeoville, Gauteng
Yeoville is a suburb of Johannesburg, in the province of Gauteng, South Africa. It is located in Region F .-Founding:Yeoville was proclaimed as a suburb in 1890 by Thomas Yeo Sherwell, who came from Yeovil in the United Kingdom...
, Bellevue
Bellevue, Gauteng
Bellevue is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8....
, Troyeville
Troyeville, Gauteng
Troyeville is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8....
, Jeppestown
Jeppestown, Gauteng
Jeppestown is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8.-History:Jeppestown was established in or after 1886 by C.E.G. Julius Jeppe, who formed the Ford and Jeppe Estate Company with his son, who was also called Julius Jeppe, and L.P. Ford. In 1893, the Masonic temple was...
, and Berea
Berea, Gauteng
Berea is a suburb of Johannesburg, in the South African province of Gauteng. It is located in Region 8....
to the east. To the west it spreads to Pageview
Pageview, Gauteng
Pageview is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8.Originally populated by non-whites including Cape Malays and Indians, it was commonly known as Fietas....
and Fordsburg
Fordsburg, Gauteng
Fordsburg is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8.Today, Fordsburg is a major centre of Indian and Pakistani South African culture, with large number of halal restaurants...
. There are small industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
areas to the south, such as City West-Denver
City West-Denver, Gauteng
City West-Denver is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8....
and Benrose
Benrose, Gauteng
Benrose is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8.The region of Benrose was named as such by the property developer Robert Horowitz whose mothers name was Rose. It means "son of Rose" in Hebrew....
.
Around 800,000 commuters pass through the inner city every day, and it functions as a regional shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
node for visitors from the southern suburbs. All major arterial roads
Johannesburg freeways
Johannesburg is heavily dependent upon freeways for transportation around the city due to its location 1500 metres above sea level, far from the coast or any major bodies of water. There are 10 freeways in the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area: the N1, N3, N12, N14, N17, R21, R24, R59, M1 and...
originate from the inner city and spread out into other parts of the city. Johannesburg's main railway station, bus terminal
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, and minibus taxi centre are all located in the inner city.
The suburbs close to the CBD, in particular Joubert Park
Joubert Park, Gauteng
Joubert Park is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8. The suburb shares its name with the largest park in the Central Business District, which is located a few blocks from the main train station for the city .Joubert Park is also the location of the Johannesburg Art...
, Hillbrow
Hillbrow, Gauteng
Hillbrow is the inner city residential neighbourhood of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is known for its high levels of population density, unemployment, poverty and crime....
, and Berea
Berea, Gauteng
Berea is a suburb of Johannesburg, in the South African province of Gauteng. It is located in Region 8....
, have a large number of high-rise apartment blocks. These areas were formerly extremely desirable; however, due to the increase in crime, the housing stock has greatly deteriorated as many wealthier residents have left for the northern suburbs. The existing buildings in the CBD area are insufficient to meet the current demands for housing in the area, and as a result, many under-utilised or abandoned office buildings have been taken over by squatters, or converted into residential housing units. Yeoville and Bellevue have a mix of apartment buildings and single residential units on small lots.
The region is located on a mountainous divide that runs from east to west. The most conspicuous geographic feature is Observatory Ridge
Observatory Ridge, Johannesburg
Observatory Ridge is the highest point in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is 2,208 metres above sea level. It is based in the suburb of Observatory.There is a large sandstone monument on top of the ridge that commemorates the British Indian Army...
, which is named for the large observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
located on it. The recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
al spaces are no longer used, due to security problems. The CBD area lacks open spaces; although there are small neighbourhood parks in all suburbs, they are also not used due to mugging
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
concerns. Both the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
and the University of Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg came into existence on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Technikon Witwatersrand and the Rand Afrikaans University . Prior to the merger, the Daveyton and Soweto campuses of the former Vista University had been incorporated into RAU...
are located in the inner city. One of South Africa's leading sporting venues, Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium, also known because of its sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company as Coca-Cola Park, is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's...
, is located in Doornfontein
Doornfontein, Gauteng
Doornfontein is an inner-city suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa, located to the east of the city centre, Region 8. The area, whose name means "thorn fountain", was originally the southern part of a farm owned by Frederick Jacobus Bezuidenhout, and was proclaimed a public diggings after the...
. It serves as primary home to one of South Africa's most famous football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
sides, the Orlando Pirates, and the exclusive home of Jo'burg's two professional rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
teams, the Lions in the Southern Hemisphere Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
and the Golden Lions
Golden Lions
The Golden Lions is a provincial rugby team based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The team was originally known as Transvaal, before changes to the political landscape in South Africa forced a name change to the Gauteng Lions, before again being changed to the Golden Lions. For sponsorship reason...
in the domestic Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
. It will also be a venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. Johannesburg Stadium
Johannesburg Stadium
Johannesburg Stadium is a stadium, in the Doornfontein suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. The stadium has a sweeping roof and can accommodate 37,500 people....
, a secondary home to the Pirates, is nearby.
Eastern suburbs
The eastern suburbs of Johannesburg are located in the city's 7thRegion 7 (Johannesburg)
Region 7 was an administrative district in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006. It included the densely populated Alexandra township and was one of Johannesburg's eastern boundary sections, situated in the north-east of the city. Regions 2 , 3 , and 8 were to its west, with...
and 9th
Region 9 (Johannesburg)
Region 9 was an administrative district from 2000 to 2006 in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, situated in the south-eastern corner of Johannesburg. To the north it met the Inner City along the Mining Belt and the M2. To the east and south, it formed the boundary of Johannesburg...
regions. The area is also functionally integrated with East Rand border towns outside of the official boundary of Johannesburg, such as Bedfordview and Edenvale
Edenvale, Gauteng
Edenvale is a town on the East Rand in Gauteng, South Africa. It started out in 1903, after the Anglo Boer War as a small settlement named Rietfontein which sprung up around the Rietfontein Gold Mine. It was made a municipality in 1942. It was initially populated by Cornish mineworkers. Modern...
(both part of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality). The major freeway in the area is the N3 eastern bypass freeway
N3 Eastern Bypass (South Africa)
The N3 Eastern Bypass is a section of the Johannesburg Ring Road that forms a beltway around the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, as part of the N3. The first section of the freeway opened in 1971, from Buccleuch to Geldenhuys Interchange...
and the R24 freeway
R24 (Gauteng)
The R24 is a major East-West Regional Route in the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area that links OR Tambo International Airport with Rustenburg via Johannesburg, Krugersdorp and Magaliesburg....
which connects Johannesburg to OR Tambo International Airport
The eastern suburbs are some of the oldest areas of Johannesburg, there are large communities of Jewish and other European backgrounds, the majority of the population is English speaking. There are three golf courses as well as a number of protected ridges with viewsites.
There are several well-developed and up-market entertainment and shopping areas in the east such as the Eastgate shopping centre
Eastgate shopping centre, Johannesburg
Eastgate was Johannesburgs first 'super-regional' shopping centre. When it opened in 1979, it was the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere...
and the Greenstone shopping centre.
South-eastern suburbs and Soweto
Soweto and the south-eastern suburbs, located in Region 6Region 6 (Johannesburg)
Region 6 was an administrative district in the city of Johannesburg, from 2000 to 2006, South Africa. It was situated towards the south west of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area. It abutted the city's Mining Belt in the north or the southern boundary of Region 5 and from there stretched...
and Region 10
Region 10 (Johannesburg)
Region 10 was an administrative district from 2000 to 2006 in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. It included most of Soweto. Soweto is a composite name, standing for South-Western Townships. So even this eastern region of it lay not to the south of central Johannesburg, but south of Florida...
, border the city's mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
belt in the north. The area is mostly composed of old "matchbox" houses, or four-room houses built by the government, that were built to provide cheap accommodation for black workers during apartheid.
Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
is an abbreviation, standing for "South Western Townships". Street after street in this area is lined with matchboxes; however, there are a few smaller areas where prosperous Sowetans have built houses that are more similar in stature with those in more affluent suburbs. Many people who still live in matchbox houses have improved and expanded their homes, and the City Council has enabled the planting of more tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and the improving of park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s and green space
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...
s in the area.
Hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
s are another prominent physical feature of Soweto. Originally built to house male migrant workers, many have been improved as dwellings for couples and families. The N1 Western Bypass
N1 Western Bypass (South Africa)
The Western Bypass is a section of the N1 and the Johannesburg Ring Road located in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. The freeway was inially opened in 1975 as a route to avoid the city centre of Johannesburg and access for the western areas of the Witwatersrand. From the south, the Western...
skirts the eastern boundary of Soweto. The suburb was not historically allowed to create employment centres within the area, so almost all of its residents are commuters to other parts of the city. There is efficient road access for many parts of the region along busy highways to the CBD and Roodepoort
Roodepoort, Gauteng
Roodepoort is an area in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Johannesburg's most famous botanical garden, Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens , is located in Roodepoort...
, but commuters are largely reliant on trains and taxis.
Northern suburbs
Region 2 (Johannesburg)
Region 2 was an administrative district in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006. It is known as the Midrand region. It bordered Region 3 , Region 7 , and Region 1...
, 3
Region 3 (Johannesburg)
Region 3 was an administrative district in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006, and was also known as the Sandton region, as it included the formerly independent municipality of Sandton, and many of the northern suburbs of the former Johannesburg municipality...
, 4
Region 4 (Johannesburg)
Region 4 was an administrative region of the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006, situated almost exactly in the middle of the Greater Johannesburg Metropolitan Area. It contained the north-western suburbs of Johannesburg as well as western Randburg to the north and Florida to the...
, and 7
Region 7 (Johannesburg)
Region 7 was an administrative district in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006. It included the densely populated Alexandra township and was one of Johannesburg's eastern boundary sections, situated in the north-east of the city. Regions 2 , 3 , and 8 were to its west, with...
, include the most wealthy and developed parts of the city. Spreading to the north from the inner city to the border with Midrand
Midrand, Gauteng
Midrand is an area in central Gauteng Province, South Africa, between Centurion and Sandton. It was established as a municipality in 1981, but was incorporated the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in 2000...
, the northern suburbs include both large housing developments and commercial centres. The northern suburbs benefited greatly from the deterioration of the CBD, as many people and businesses moved. The northern suburbs have developed along the M1
M1 (Johannesburg)
The M1 De Villiers Graaff motorway is a major freeway in Johannesburg, South Africa. The highway connects the southern areas with the city centre and extends further north through Sandton...
and N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
highways, which serve as their major arterial roads. The N1 Western Bypass
N1 Western Bypass (South Africa)
The Western Bypass is a section of the N1 and the Johannesburg Ring Road located in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. The freeway was inially opened in 1975 as a route to avoid the city centre of Johannesburg and access for the western areas of the Witwatersrand. From the south, the Western...
connects the northern suburbs with the north-western suburbs.
The residential areas in the northern suburbs are mainly formal, with no significant areas of informal housing, or housing that lacks a permanent structure. Although this is an established area, there is a trend of land use change from residential to commercial, especially along main arterial roads and around established nodes. The area is also becoming more dense, as large residential properties are subdivided
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
, or redeveloped, as townhouse
Townhouse
A townhouse is the term historically used in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in many other countries to describe a residence of a peer or member of the aristocracy in the capital or major city. Most such figures owned one or more country houses in which they lived for much of the year...
and cluster house complexes. The area is well connected to road networks, especially along the north-south axis formed by the M1
M1 (Johannesburg)
The M1 De Villiers Graaff motorway is a major freeway in Johannesburg, South Africa. The highway connects the southern areas with the city centre and extends further north through Sandton...
and N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
. Roads to the east and west are less well developed, as there are no freeways travelling in that direction.
Towards the northern border of the city, the density of development decreases, leaving large areas of undeveloped land around Midrand. Grand Central Airport
Grand Central Airport
Grand Central Airport is a small privately owned airfield which is open to public air traffic. It is located in Midrand, halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria in South Africa...
is also located in the area. The first suburb to the north of the inner city is Parktown, which is located on a hill overlooking the inner city and Hillbrow. It has many wealthy residents and Edward
Edward
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from Old English words ead and weard...
ian-style mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
s, as well as the Education and Medical campuses of the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
. The large concrete Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital dominates the skyline of Parktown. There are numerous office parks in the suburb as well. Just to the west of Parktown is Westcliff
Westcliff, Gauteng
Westcliff is an affluent suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It has many old mansions, and views over the Northern Suburbs. It is the site of the Westcliff Hotel.- External links :*http://www.westcliff.co.za Westcliff Hotel...
and Parkwood, which is one of the wealthiest areas in Johannesburg, as it is located on the side of a very tall hill and overlooks the inner city as well as the northern suburbs. Other wealthy residential suburbs, Saxonwold
Saxonwold, Gauteng
Saxonwold is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is situated in what was once the Sachsenwald Forest in the early 20th century. It is located in Region 3....
and Houghton continue to the north of Westcliff. Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
has a house in Houghton, and it is also the location of the most prestigious secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s in Johannesburg. Houghton is also the former electoral district of Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman
Helen Suzman, DBE was a South African anti-apartheid activist and politician.-Biography:Helen Suzman, a life-long citizen of South Africa, was born as Helen Gavronsky in 1917 to Jewish immigrants....
, a famous anti-apartheid Member of Parliament
Parliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
.
The suburbs become more commercial to the north of Houghton. Rosebank
Rosebank, Gauteng
Rosebank is a cosmopolitan commercial and residential suburb in the northwestern part of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 3, and will be the location of a Gautrain station in 2011....
is the centre of high-end retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
and shopping
Shopping
Shopping is the examining of goods or services from retailers with the intent to purchase at that time. Shopping is an activity of selection and/or purchase. In some contexts it is considered a leisure activity as well as an economic one....
for northern suburb residents. Most retail development has centred on the Zone@Rosebank, one of the most prestigious shopping centres in Gauteng. Many smaller companies who cannot afford to be located in Sandton
Sandton, Gauteng
Sandton is a wealthy area situated within the metro of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The name comes from the combination of two of its suburbs, Sandown and Bryanston...
also are located in Rosebank. The suburbs near Rosebank, including Parkhurst, Parktown North, Craighall Park and Greenside are collectively known as "The Parks". Parkhurst is known for its village atmosphere and pavement cafés and restaurants. Greenside
Greenside, Gauteng
Greenside is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.Greenside was initially a farm founded by the Geldenhuys brothers.Greenside's name is considered to be Scottish in origin, and refers to the adjacent Parkview Golf Course. Most of the roads in Greenside were named after golf courses or...
is next to Parkhurst and has developed Parkhurst-style restaurants.
Hyde Park
Hyde Park, Gauteng
Hyde Park is a wealthy suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It borders Illovo, Sandhurst, and Craighall Park. Hyde Park is located in Region 3.Virgin Atlantic Airways has its South Africa office in Hyde Park....
, Sandton, and Morningside are all to the north of Rosebank, all of which are extremely wealthy and well policed. Sandton has become the new business area of Johannesburg, and features many corporate headquarters, as well as Nelson Mandela Square
Nelson Mandela Square
Nelson Mandela Square is a shopping centre in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. Formerly known as Sandton Square, it was renamed Nelson Mandela Square on 31 March 2004 after a 6-metre statue of Nelson Mandela was installed on the square to honour the former South African president...
and Wanderers Stadium
Wanderers Stadium
BIDVest Wanderers Stadium is a stadium situated just south of Sandton in Illovo, Johannesburg in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Test, One Day and First class cricket matches are played here. It is also the home ground for the Highveld Lions, formerly known as Gauteng .The stadium has a seating...
, the most prestigious cricket ground
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in South Africa. The skyline of Sandton has grown rapidly and there are many projects under development in the area. Sandton is also the location of the JSE Securities Exchange, Africa's largest stock exchange
Stock exchange
A stock exchange is an entity that provides services for stock brokers and traders to trade stocks, bonds, and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for issue and redemption of securities and other financial instruments, and capital events including the payment of income and...
, which relocated from the CBD in 2000.
The quality of life deteriorates on the outer fringes of the northern suburbs. One of the poorest townships
Township (South Africa)
In South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
, Alexandra
Alexandra, Gauteng
Alexandra or Alex for short, nicknamed Gomora is a township located in Gauteng province, South Africa. It is part of Johannesburg, close to the wealthy suburb of Sandton and is bounded by Wynberg on the west, Marlboro and Kelvin on the north, Kew, Lombardy West and Lombardy East on the south...
, is located in this border area, to the east of Sandton
Sandton, Gauteng
Sandton is a wealthy area situated within the metro of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The name comes from the combination of two of its suburbs, Sandown and Bryanston...
.
North-western suburbs
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
, and the inner city. They are mostly low-rise although there are few skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s. There are a few new developments in the recently incorporated city of Randburg
Randburg, Gauteng
Randburg is an area located in northern Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Formerly a separate municipality, its administration devolved to the newly created City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, along with neighbouring Sandton and Roodepoort, in the late 1990s.The resident demographic...
, which is a chief commercial node for the area. The area is also connected to the rest of the city by the N1 Western Bypass
N1 Western Bypass (South Africa)
The Western Bypass is a section of the N1 and the Johannesburg Ring Road located in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. The freeway was inially opened in 1975 as a route to avoid the city centre of Johannesburg and access for the western areas of the Witwatersrand. From the south, the Western...
.
Roodepoort
Roodepoort, Gauteng
Roodepoort is an area in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Johannesburg's most famous botanical garden, Witwatersrand National Botanical Gardens , is located in Roodepoort...
is another major formerly independent municipality, recently incorporated into Johannesburg. Roodepoort's previously predominantly white population is changing as its proximity to Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
has made it attractive to middle-class black people who want to move to nicer houses while maintaining ties to their old communities. There is ample access from the more affluent northern residential areas to the inner city. However, links are poor towards high economic and commercial areas in the north, such as Randburg and Sandton. This gives rise to increasing numbers of secondary roads, creating congestion and putting pressure on residential areas and infrastructure.
Towards the extreme north-west of the city, there are well-developed farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
s, as well as smaller formal and informal residential areas. There are also large manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
and industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
nodes. The informal settlements in this area are growing rapidly, with 76 per cent of the population of Diepsloot
Diepsloot, Gauteng
Diepsloot is in the north of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in the newly formed Region A , and is a densely populated settlement made up of Government subsidised housing, brick houses built by land owners and shacks. These shacks are built on whichever piece of land that has nothing...
living in informal housing. The industrial areas along Malibongwe Drive in the south-west form part of the Kya Sand
Kya Sand, Gauteng
Kya Sand is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 1 and Region 5....
area. Fourways
Fourways, Gauteng
The district of Fourways is the fastest-developing commercial and residential hub in the far north of Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. The main access routes to Fourways are off the N1 at William Nicol Road, or alternatively along Witkoppen or the R511. It is located mostly in Region 3...
, in the south-east, is the major retail, office and entertainment area.
The first suburb to be grouped in the north-west is Auckland Park
Auckland Park, Gauteng
Auckland Park lies on a gentle slope, the homes here gentrified and the neighbourhood a vibrant hum. The suburb known as Auckland Park is one of few this close to the centre of Johannesburg to survive the exodus of Jo’burgers to the northern suburbs and it’s no surprise given the wealth of...
. Auckland Park is home to the headquarters of the South African Broadcasting Corporation
South African Broadcasting Corporation
The South African Broadcasting Corporation is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa and provides 18 radio stations as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.-Early years:Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923...
, which is located in Radiopark
Radiopark
Radiopark is a skyscraper in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa. It is 30 stories tall and is the headquarters of the South African Broadcasting Corporation....
, and two campuses of the sprawling University of Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
The University of Johannesburg came into existence on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Technikon Witwatersrand and the Rand Afrikaans University . Prior to the merger, the Daveyton and Soweto campuses of the former Vista University had been incorporated into RAU...
.
North of Auckland Park lies Melville
Melville, Gauteng
Melville is a Bohemian suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. It is the location of many restaurants and bars, which are mostly frequented by students from the nearby University of Johannesburg, located in Auckland Park. It is also one of the city's gay villages.The suburb was proclaimed on...
, which has morphed into a Bohemian enclave of restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
s, and bookstores based chiefly around 7th Avenue. This occurred mainly following the South African Broadcasting Corporation moving its headquarters to Auckland Park. Melville's main entertainment strip is 7th Road. A national serial drama, 7de Laan, shows the strip in its opening credits, mistakenly referring to the road as 7th Avenue. In Melville, lanes run east to west while roads lie north to south. Melville borders on the north to the Melville Koppies, a small protected reserve. The chief road that cuts though Melville's business area, Beyers Naude Drive
Beyers Naudé Drive
Beyers Naudé Drive is a large arterial route in Johannesburg, South Africa. It starts at the University of Johannesburg in Auckland Park, travelling through Melville, Roosevelt Park, Northcliff, Blackheath and traversing the N1 Western Bypass at Randpark Ridge. It terminates at the N14 freeway near...
. Currently Melville has faced decline as several businesses relocate back into to the newly renovated Newtown
Newtown, Gauteng
Newtown is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is located in Region 8. Newtown is currently being developed into a vibrant, mixed-use area with a unique character based on existing cultural facilities - the indelible Kippies, the world renowned Market Theatre, SAB World of Beer, Moyo...
area in the city centre.
West of Melville is Sophiatown
Sophiatown, Gauteng
Sophiatown is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.Sophiatown was a legendary black cultural hub that was destroyed under Apartheid, rebuilt under the name by Triomf, and in 2006 officially returned to its original name.Sophiatown was one of the oldest black areas in Johannesburg and its...
, once one of the most vibrant black suburbs in the city. Considered a criminal and political hotbed, the entire suburb was razed to the ground in the 1950s. A white suburb of Triomf, meaning "triumph" in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, was constructed in its place. The only remaining original Sophiatown building is the Anglican Church of Christ the King. The area has since reintroduced the use of its original name.
Southern suburbs
The southern suburbs, located in Regions 9Region 9 (Johannesburg)
Region 9 was an administrative district from 2000 to 2006 in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, situated in the south-eastern corner of Johannesburg. To the north it met the Inner City along the Mining Belt and the M2. To the east and south, it formed the boundary of Johannesburg...
, 10
Region 10 (Johannesburg)
Region 10 was an administrative district from 2000 to 2006 in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa. It included most of Soweto. Soweto is a composite name, standing for South-Western Townships. So even this eastern region of it lay not to the south of central Johannesburg, but south of Florida...
, and 11
Region 11 (Johannesburg)
Region 11 was an administrative district in the city of Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2000 to 2006. On a map, Region 11 appeared to hang down from the borders of the two Soweto regions and Johannesburg South. It was about 40 km south of the Inner City...
, extend to the south of the inner city, and are somewhat isolated from the rest of Johannesburg. On a map, the southern suburbs appear to hang down from the border of Soweto
Soweto
Soweto is a lower-class-populated urban area of the city of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for South Western Townships...
and Johannesburg South
Johannesburg South, Gauteng
Johannesburg South is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa....
. It is about 40 kilometres south of the inner city. It is actually the most isolated, least integrated area of Johannesburg, with its east, west, and southern boundaries also forming Johannesburg proper's boundaries in the area. It is diagonally traversed by the N1
N1 (South Africa)
The N1 is a South African National Route, running from Cape Town to Beit Bridge on the border with Zimbabwe. It is also the main road link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and forms the first section of the famed Cape to Cairo Road....
, with the N12
N12 (South Africa)
The N12 is a National Route in South Africa. It is maintained by the South African National Roads Agency.- Route :The road starts in George in the Western Cape and ends in Witbank in Mpumalanga. The road runs roughly from south to north, however, once it passes Kimberley in the Northern Cape, it...
running along its northern border.
The southern suburbs tend to be either solely industrial or solely residential, with most residents in the residential areas being long-term residents in well-established communities. The majority of houses in these formal settlements are included in one of Johannesburg's lowest income brackets. At the extreme south end of the city, there are extremely large informal settlements, such as Orange Farm
Orange Farm, Gauteng
Orange Farm is a township located approximately 45 km from Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is the largest informal settlement in South Africa, with most estimates giving a population of 1 million people. Additionally, it is one of the youngest, with the original inhabitants;...
, which suffer from widespread poverty and unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, which are compounded by their isolation from the rest of the city, which in turn makes it costly to extend much-needed infrastructure from the more integrated suburbs.
A significant amount of underdeveloped and vacant agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
land is publicly owned, and the city government is currently in the process of selling large tracts of it for development, which is hoped to provide jobs for the residents of the informal settlements. Rand Stadium
Rand Stadium
Rand Stadium is a stadium in Rosettenville, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It is set to be utilized as a training field for teams participating in the 2010 FIFA World Cup after being completely rebuilt and reopened in August 2008....
, the oldest football stadium in the city, is located in the southern suburb of Rosettenville
Rosettenville, Gauteng
Rosettenville is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. It lies to the south of the city centre.Rosettenville is named after Leo Rosettenstein, who surveyed the land and sold stands before gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand...
.
Turffontein was the largest concentration camp in Johannesburg during the Anglo Boer War. The camp was located where the Turffontein Racecourse is now, and housed about 5000 people. The 700 who died of that group were buried on a farm called Klipriviers Berg in Winchester Hills. The racecourse hosts the Summer Cup one of three major races in South Africa.