Johannesburg is a city beckoning you to experience its vibrant, exciting and enriching opportunities. It is the economic hub of South Africa, and as such exerts a powerful influence on Africa as a whole.
Sadly, however, visitors are rushed through the city en route to other destinations. There is so much to see and do in Johannesburg - do not let this happen to you!
For thirty years TALK Tourism has been promoting this wonderful city and/or accompanying visitors on all kinds of exposures.
This tour provides an excellent contextual background to TALK Tourism's tour of Soweto. Using the city as a backdrop, the ‘story’ behind Apartheid is told in chronological order, helping visitors understand the unfolding – and escalation - of events which led to the development of grand Apartheid in the mid 20th century.
We would recommend an early start as there is a lot to see and learn about in Johannesburg.
The first half of the morning - covers the background to the existence of Johannesburg and the completely unique set of circumstances which resulted in the throwing together of literally tens of thousands of extremely varied people from all corners of the earth – all in response to the discovery of the world’s largest goldfield.
The immensity of this goldrush created the conditions for the future social conflicts underpinning Apartheid, and the great tragedy of the Anglo Boer war. The latter is a topic which is rarely discussed on tours – yet no understanding of Apartheid is possible without understanding this extraordinary, and extraordinarily savage, conflict.
The first part of the tour goes into this background in some detail, showing sites that illustrate the origins of social and class conflict in the city.
The second half of the morning - takes passengers to the city’s newest ‘struggle’ museum, the Constitutional Court, in central Johannesburg. This ex-prison is sometimes called ‘Joburg’s Robben Island’ –for it was the maximum security prison where the ‘most dangerous’ political prisoners were kept. The old gaol has a fascinating past and the re-development of the site is very successful in delivering a most atmospheric and moving experience. Of course the Constitutional Court itself is of major symbolic importance for it is here that S.A.’s world famous constitution is tested. Quite a number of cases - including the famous case brought against an ex-South African President Jacob Zuma for violating the constitution — have already been brought to the court, which is designed with respect for the traditional methods of African justice, and which also has a wonderful art collection.
Lunch may be had in a number of places.
The afternoon of this day - is spent in the excellent Apartheid Museum, now a few years old but widely recognized as a highly successful presentation on the many aspects of the vast system of legislated Apartheid. There is a particularly remarkable film documenting the rise of popular resistance after 1976, where many activists tell the stories of the 20 years of activism through the violence wracked 1980s and 1990s. We have allowed enough time for this visit, as the topic is complex and emotionally taxing, requiring a lot of concentration especially if passengers lack prior knowledge of the country’s recent history. This museum has received much acclaim, and thus we accord it a suitable amount of time.
Should you wish to buy African art, please set aside some time as we will put you in touch with the tour guide who will connect you up with contemporary artists in and around Johannesburg.
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We all deserve a fair shot in life, and that’s why we can never abandon our communities. We level the playing field so that they can break away from the limitations that shackle them into poverty. You too can be a part of that movement.
