36 Hours
36 Hours in Johannesburg
![A view over a cityscape as the sky is turning orange. In the foreground is a spindly tree with spiky-looking leaves.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-fjtk/23hours-johannesburg-fjtk-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
For too long, Johannesburg was a victim of its own reputation for violent crime, with citizens retreating behind high walls and socializing in shopping malls. A culture shift — partly spurred by the city’s strict pandemic lockdowns — has many Joburgers rediscovering the outdoors and the city’s Goldilocks weather (not too hot, not too cold) to dine and dance under the open sky. Over a weekend in this modern, contradictory city, wander through changing neighborhoods that are embracing galleries and sidewalk cafes, pull up a plastic chair at a market for unfussy barbecue, or sing along at a theater with a rich history of protest performance. And no longer the no-go area for tourists, as it was during the apartheid era, Soweto is a testament to Black South Africa’s contemporary creativity and unbridled joy. Take a turn, or as South Africans say, a “short left,” and be rewarded in Joburg.
Recommendations
- 44 Stanley is a collection of interesting boutiques, galleries and cafes, all centered around a canopied courtyard. The Drum Archive Shop, with its apartheid-era magazine covers, and Chocoloza, a creative chocolatier, are two worthy stops.
- Konka, a day-to-night club in Soweto, celebrates car culture, barbecue and music.
- 1947 on Vilakazi Street is a Soweto restaurant offering refined South African cooking and local wines.
- The Shortmarket Club is a brasserie serving European and Asian dishes, with some South African touches.
- Marble is a stylish restaurant with a no-reservations bar area that offers a fabulous view at sunset.
- Peachy, a restaurant and bar awash in pastels, is perfect for soaking up the afternoon sun.
- Bean There, a cafe and roastery, sells ethically sourced African coffee.
- Sakhumzi Restaurant has a daily buffet in Soweto where you can try a traditional “seven colors” lunch.
- BKhz, a gallery in the Rosebank district, highlights work by emerging South African artists.
- Kwa Mai Mai, originally a traditional medicine market, is a dizzying and vibrant destination for real-deal chisa nyama (South African barbecue).
- Thesis Lifestyle is a store by Thesis Brand, a streetwear label, and a gathering place for the township’s young, creative scene.
- The Market Theater, in a former fruit market downtown, has a long history of staging protest plays.
- Joburg Theater, also downtown, has a program encompassing dance, theater, music and children’s shows.
- Vilakazi Street in Soweto draws visitors to see the Mandela House, where Nelson Mandela and his family lived, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum, which commemorates the 1976 Soweto student uprising.
- Joburg Places offers half-day walking tours that follow in the footsteps of famous South African figures, as well as highlighting the migrants who shaped the city.
- Alternatively, Bridge Books, an inner-city bookshop, leads tours through the lens of the city’s literary history, while Dlala Nje’s food tours hop from one African eatery to another.
- 54 on Bath is a luxury hotel in Rosebank offering a tranquil atmosphere amid the bustle of a growing business district. Double rooms start at around 3,655 rand, or about $197, a night.
- Nearby is Voco Johannesburg Rosebank, an upscale hotel that opened in 2022 with an all-day restaurant and bar and a remote-working hub. A standard double room with breakfast starts at around 2,700 rand.
- If you decide to spend the night in Soweto, Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers offers simple, safe accommodation. Four- and six-bed shared dorm rooms start at 220 rand per night, and private double rooms with an en suite bathroom start at 545 rand.
- For short-term rentals, look at Rosebank as well as the Parkhurst and Parkview neighborhoods, which are close to the city center and offer an array of sidewalk cafes.
- Johannesburg is a sprawling city with unreliable public transportation. Ride-hailing apps like Uber and Bolt are good options. Although Soweto is tourist-friendly these days, Ubers may not be dependable and it can be confusing to navigate if you’re driving yourself. Ask your hotel to recommend a driver for the day, which should cost around 1,500 rand.
- While the city is relatively safe for tourists, it’s important to stay vigilant, especially for pickpockets in crowded areas. Avoid walking around at night outside the designated pedestrian zones.
Itinerary
Friday
![Two people walk down concrete steps during the daytime. They are both looking to their left, and one person is talking on a cell phone. Near the steps is a large art display featuring swirling, colorful patterns.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-fczj/23hours-johannesburg-fczj-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Two people walk down concrete steps during the daytime. They are both looking to their left, and one person is talking on a cell phone. Near the steps is a large art display featuring swirling, colorful patterns.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-fczj/23hours-johannesburg-fczj-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Chefs, wearing white uniforms with pinstriped aprons, work over a pan in a commercial kitchen.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-shoremarket-ptgk/23hours-johannesburg-shoremarket-ptgk-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Chefs, wearing white uniforms with pinstriped aprons, work over a pan in a commercial kitchen.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-shoremarket-ptgk/23hours-johannesburg-shoremarket-ptgk-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![Three young women sit on a sofa inside a club lit up in pink and purple. Two of the women are smoking on a hookah pipe, and the woman in the center is wearing sunglasses.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-konka-tvlw/23hours-johannesburg-konka-tvlw-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Saturday
![In the foreground is a sculpture of a big cat, possibly a panther. In the background is a building with a stone facade and, behind it, another tall building. A tree juts into frame, with boughs full of leaves.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-mbkq/23hours-johannesburg-mbkq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![In the foreground is a sculpture of a big cat, possibly a panther. In the background is a building with a stone facade and, behind it, another tall building. A tree juts into frame, with boughs full of leaves.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-mbkq/23hours-johannesburg-mbkq-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![The interior of a coffee shop, as seen through a glass window. Inside, customers wearing T-shirts and backpacks lean on the counter, where there is also a silver espresso machine. On the wall behind the counter, a sign reads:](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-03-mlhv/23hours-johannesburg-03-mlhv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![The interior of a coffee shop, as seen through a glass window. Inside, customers wearing T-shirts and backpacks lean on the counter, where there is also a silver espresso machine. On the wall behind the counter, a sign reads:](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-03-mlhv/23hours-johannesburg-03-mlhv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A red entrance canopy with a sign printed on the front, which reads](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-02-mlhv/23hours-johannesburg-02-mlhv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A red entrance canopy with a sign printed on the front, which reads](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-02-mlhv/23hours-johannesburg-02-mlhv-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
Sunday
![An adult and small child, both wearing heats, walk past a structure with a low red-brick fence and a window with a sign that reads](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-gwmh/23hours-johannesburg-gwmh-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![An adult and small child, both wearing heats, walk past a structure with a low red-brick fence and a window with a sign that reads](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-gwmh/23hours-johannesburg-gwmh-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A woman in a bright orange dress walks in a parking lot where gleaming cars are parked. She is glowing in orange light, as if the sun is setting. Behind her, big capital letters — presumably a fragment of a larger sign out of frame — are positioned on external windows:](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-konka-mqgc/23hours-johannesburg-konka-mqgc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)
![A woman in a bright orange dress walks in a parking lot where gleaming cars are parked. She is glowing in orange light, as if the sun is setting. Behind her, big capital letters — presumably a fragment of a larger sign out of frame — are positioned on external windows:](https://cdn.statically.io/img/static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/23hours-johannesburg-konka-mqgc/23hours-johannesburg-konka-mqgc-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg)