Built upon the world’s wealthiest gold deposits, Johannesburg is the capital of Gauteng (the largest and wealthiest urban conglomeration in sub-Saharan Africa) and the busiest air gateway to the region
Johannesburg is most often visited as a gateway to places such as the Kruger National Park, and Pilanesberg and Madikwe game reserves. But despite its (justified) reputation as brash modern city and hotbed of crime, it has much to offer visitors. A highlight for many, situated a short drive west of the city centre, is the sprawling Cradle of Humankind. This UNESCO World Heritage Site has yielded some of the world’s most important hominid remains, and several of the key fossil sites are open to visitors. Its centrepiece, however, is the award-winning Maropeng Visitors Centre, an innovative child-friendly installation that must surely qualify as the country’s least-stuffy museum.