Kita the Explorer
- Dec 20, 2018
- 3 min read

Only in JoBurg, South Africa

Updated: Dec 8, 2020

WE HAVE ARRIVED!!! We arrived in South Africa with our first leg of the trip being in Johannesburg. The city is beautiful with various neighborhoods and beautiful people. I wouldn’t mind living in this city which says a lot because there hasn’t been many places I've visited where I have felt this way. But since I don’t, here is a quick guide on what we did while in JoBurg!

Stay Accommodations

We stayed in the Rosebank neighborhood which was very modern and chic in style. Based on the diversity there, it appeared to be a great place for expats to live. Our loft was gorgeous with our host Simon at The Vantage. The loft was a full blown home allowing space for both me and my home girl. The only downfall was there wasn’t any air conditioning. But we managed. The loft is walking distance to the Rosebank Mall and plenty of restaurants. You may book where we stayed here on AirBnb: https://abnb.me/zfP0l2opKS. Here are a couple pictures from The Vantage:

Open area inside the The Vantage building

Part of the common area in our loft

Things to Do

Don‘t you dare visit South Africa and not go on a safari! They have so many amazing animals in this country, it’s definitely worth the trip. But please be respectful to the wildlife. Do not poach and do not ruin their land. We had a great tour guide (Jason) who picked us up from Johannesburg for a day trip to Pilanesberg National Park with Deeprift Ventours. During the trip, we saw elephants, antelope, white rhinos, and much much more! Lunch was also included in our trip! Check out Deeprift here: https://www.deeprift.co.za. See below a picture from the safari:

Beautiful elephant roaming Pilanesberg National Park

Since we didn‘t plan much time in Johannesburg, we decided to do a Hop On Hop Off Bus tour one day with a tour to Soweto. I love these buses as you are able to see the city while learning facts along the way. It is also a great way of transportation around the city...or any city where the buses operate. On the bus we rode from Rosebank and transferred at Constitutional Hill. Here we rode around until we reached the Carlton Centre. Here you will find the Top of Africa. Even though we found it strange but an operator from the bus made us walk with him as it isn't a safe area. I have read mixed reviews on this area...so please use due diligence if you decide to visit here and practice safety. The views are nice from the Top of Africa but the building needs a lot of upkeep. See a picture here from our view at the top:

But Soweto (South Western Townships) was everything! It has an interesting past that is deep rooted into its culture today. Soweto is one of Johannesburg's townships and we were first introduced to it while reading Trevor Noah's book, Born A Crime. During our tour, we learned this was an area black South Africans were forced to live during Apartheid. When driving through Soweto, you see a lot of diversity amongst income levels. We were able to see homes of the greats like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu on Vilakazi Street. While around the corner you may see a home made with tin roofs. We also had a storyteller greet us at the Hector Pieterson Museum to tell us about how students played a role in fighting against apartheid. Below are a few photos from Soweto:

Memorial at Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum

Dining

Time to eat!

We usually ate at places for convenience in Johannesburg. Here are a few of the places we ate which were all delicious...

Tashas: Contemporary restaurant with a classic and inspired by menu. Great drinks and a great chic vibe.
Texakhana Spur Steak Ranch: This is a US style restaurant. This was probably my least favorite while in JoBurg. But I couldn't pass up a quesadilla and avoiding a long trip in the rain.
Piza e Vino: The pizza and chicken wings here were fabulous! Nice size restaurant in the Zone area of Rosebank.
Bakubung Restaurant: This wasn't in Johannesburg but near Pilanesberg National Park. Their food was delicious and you can look out to the pasture where the wildlife roam. They also had a great chicken burger.

We also had a quick snack in Soweto but I'm not sure of the name. It was nice local bakery near the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum.

Johannesburg was quite a treat and I absolutely loved it! If you have visited JoBurg, how did you like it? If not, when do you plan to go?!

Need help planning your trip to South Africa? Get this itinerary template here to assist you with your journey! Only $1.00!

Check out my videos on YouTube for more from Johannesburg here: