THE CITY

Hillbrow Tower

The Hillbrow Tower is the highest structure in Johannesburg, and is probably the city's most recognisable landmark. The Hillbrow Tower (previously known as the JG Strijdom Tower) was built over three years, between June 1968 and April 1971, and is 269m high. It is owned by Telkom (previously by the Post Office) and is used as a microwave tower. It used to boast a revolving restaurant, but was closed in January 1981 for security reasons. The tower had a blue illuminated Telkom sign installed on 31 May 2005, and was renamed as the Telkom Joburg Tower.

It is interesting to note that the height of the Hillbrow Tower is virtually the same as the length of the Titanic (269m).

Sentech Tower and SABC Radiopark

The Sentech Tower (also known as the Brixton Tower, and previously as the Albert Hertzog Tower) was built in 1962, and is 239m tall (other sources say 234m). The tower is used by the SABC and Post office as a transmission tower, and is situated on a hill in Brixton.

Carlton Centre

The Carlton Centre is the tallest building in Africa. (Note that the towers above are not strictly 'buildings'.) It was the tallest building in the southern hemisphere when originally completed. It has 50 floors, and is 223m tall, about 3m short of featuring in the world's top 100 skyscrapers. The foundations of the two buildings in the complex are 3.5m in diameter and extend 20m down to the bedrock, 30m below street level. The building houses both offices and shops, and has over 46 per cent of the floor area below ground level.

Excavations for the Carlton were started in January 1967, and took two years to complete. Although occupation of the Centre began in 1971, it was not until 1974 that most of the construction was completed - at a cost of over R88 million.

(Other sources say that the Carlton Centre was built in 1972 or 1973, has 50 floors or 52 storeys), and has a height of 220m or 223m, or is 203m above the pavement.)

It is possible (for a small cost) to take a lift (elevator) to the 50th floor, where there is a very good observation deck.

Nelson Mandela Bridge

At 294 m in length, this is the longest cable-stayed bridge in southern Africa. It was officially opened on Sunday 20 July 2003, with a road race to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 85th birthday. The bridge links Braamfontein to Newtown.

Lesedi Cultural Village is a multi culture village set amongst the pristine bushveld and rocky hills, less than an hour's drive north of Johannesburg, South Africa.Browse in a Ndebele village and African craft market where Ndebele murals decorate the walls and courtyard; Attend a multi-visual theatre presentation on the history and origin of our peoples. Guests are divided into smaller groups and taken on a guided tour of four homesteads – Zulu, Xhosa, Basotho and Pedi; After a few drinks in the bar, guests and the families meet back in the Boma for traditional song and dance of all the villages. The dance culminates in communal dancing with the guests around the fire. A Pan African Feast is served in the Nyama Choma restaurant with delicacies from North, East and Southern Africa.

Union Building:

It was designed by Brittish Architect Sir Herbrt Barker to accommodate Ministers and Prim Ministers in 1913

The Union Building is made of sandstone and is 275 m long. The two wings at either end were intended to represent the bilingual nature of the country, and symbolized the unity that these two cultures had achieved since the Anglo Boer War.

SAB World of Beer

Since opening its doors on 15 May 1995, the World of Beer has grown in stature and has become a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. SAB's multi-million rand investment in the area helped lay the foundations for what has become the Newtown Cultural Precinct.

SAB's World of Beer is open for beer tours Tuesday to Saturday from 10h00 to 18h00. The last tour starts at 17h00. From ancient Mesopotamia, through Africa and Europe, the tour unveils beer's heritage all the way to a honky-tonk pub of Johannesburg's mining camp days and a traditional Soweto shebeen

Since opening its doors on 15 May 1995, the World of Beer has grown in stature and has become a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike. SAB's multi-million rand investment in the area helped lay the foundations for what has become the Newtown Cultural Precinct.

Newtown:

Museum Africa

This is where cultural scenes are happening, at the heart of Newtown.The famous Museum Africa as well as Market Theatre are part of the inner city.

This is the only museum, which attempts to tell the story of life in Southern Africa from the stone age to nuclear age and beyond. It tells this story with honesty and objectivity, using its extensive collections, recent research, and the advice of experts in the fields of geology, archaeology, anthropology and history; The section on Johannesburg features models of Batswana & Bushman people. In addition to a gallery of ancient San (Bushman) rock art, there is an interesting section on a more recent phenomenon- squatter camps and shebeens.

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