# Johannesburg, South Africa



## Inertia (Aug 9, 2006)

*Joburg South (CBD):*































































































































11 DIAGONAL STREET: Possibly the most well-liked building in Joburg is 11 
Diagonal Street. Built in 1984, this glass building is built in the shape of a diamond, to represent the wealth that Joburg was built on.









CORNER HOUSE LOFTS: One of my favourite buildings in Johannesburg. This building used to house First National Bank - today, it has been converted into luxury apartments and is currently the venue of South Africa's version of The Apprentice, hosted by our top businessman, Tokyo Sexwale.


















MAIN STREET: The South Western Improvement District, which, largely through the efforts of big business, has transformed itself into a viable, clean and safe city centre. Main Street has just been refurbished, and the following four photos are examples of this refurbishment.




































GANDHI SQUARE: This square used to be known as Van Der Bijl, but was renamed about two years ago along with a statue of Gandhi, who spent his early years in South Africa. The square is the central bus terminus, and is relatively clean and crime-free.


















Approaching the CBD:




















































































































































































Public Transport:









FYI: Johannesburg is the largest man-made forest in the world
















































































































































Joburg mines in foreground:









Joubert Park:




















































































































































































University of Johannesburg:





















































































































Standard Bank:













































The Impala Fountain, which, according to Death of Joburg, is still completely vandalised and derelict etc etc etc...









Anglo American headquarters


















Outside artwork. You can find these huge billboards all over the city. Supposedly the biggest outside art gallery in the world. Adds to the colour of Joburg.









The inside-out Standard Bank building









Constitutional Court:



















































































































































































































































*Northen Johannesburg:*



















JSE:


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## danielsale (Dec 28, 2006)

great city! very impressive.


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## zerokarma (May 29, 2005)

Interesting pictures, nice tour!


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## coalfactor (Nov 14, 2005)

that is on bautifull city, sorry my " " ar not orking.


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## thryve (Mar 5, 2005)

A very rapidly improving and wonderfull brash city. This city has the intense urbanity of NYC-- it deserves more attention than it currently gets.


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## wiki (Mar 30, 2006)

beautiful city, i saw many modern and amazing buildings


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## cmoonflyer (Aug 17, 2005)

It is so nice to view these excellent pics , especially for a world- class famous city - rarely seen on this forum !


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## Clay_Rock (Jun 1, 2005)

Nice pictures! Thanks for posting them.


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## oliver999 (Aug 4, 2006)

another hidden great city in the world.


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## jpIllInoIs (Feb 13, 2006)

Nice Pix, City looks great, Can't wait for 2010 World Cup!


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## S.Yorks Capital (May 21, 2005)

I love Johannesburg. Would love to visit.


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## mateo2k6 (Apr 27, 2006)

Looks so nice! I heard that all the inner city buildings are abandoned though because of crime


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## StevenW (Sep 12, 2002)

It has a wonderfully diverse range of architecture. Love the city! Great pix. Thanks for your time in posting them. :yes: 
I'd love to visit one day myself. :yes:


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## FREKI (Sep 27, 2005)

Some nice buildings there in J-Burg...


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## thryve (Mar 5, 2005)

mateo2k6 said:


> Looks so nice! I heard that all the inner city buildings are abandoned though because of crime


..or filled with squatters, sadly. However, times are changing. A mix of low-income and luxury projects are beginning to occur within redeveloped old towers.

One part of the 'downtown' area called Braamfontein is already coming back to life quite quickly, with plenty of student housing/ lofts projects in redeveloped buildings.

The suburbs are a world all their own, but also with plenty of development.


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## Paulo2004 (Oct 13, 2004)

Beautiful, but the city hasn't changed much since I left it in 1990.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

yes, you are right. there has not been any significant addition to the skyline that you are familiar with since 1990. The main explanation for this is largely the fact that from 1990 onwards, the transition from the old order to a new ANC led government was largely very uncertain for investors and crime and grime also took its toll on the city. This scared a lot of tenants out of the city who headed for the Northern part of Johannesburg (e.g. Sandton, Rosebank, Midrand, Fourways etc). 

The City of Johannesburg has since embarked on a vigorous regeneration campaign which is now beginning to bear fruits as evidenced by the West/South precincts and the Braamfontein and Newtown precincts. The 2010 FIFA World Cup, Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project, Blue IQ project are all also helping fuel the regeneration efforts.


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## Dallas star (Jul 6, 2006)

Wow I have seen a few pics of Johannedburg and thought it was only a city w/ super high crime and car chases this totally changed my mind!!!!


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## Dangeristo (Feb 23, 2007)

Very very nice city, I like its development, impressive Johannesburg.


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## samba_man (Dec 26, 2004)

Amazing city, with some awesome glassy buildings and highways !


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## jbkayaker12 (Nov 8, 2004)

Interesting, it is similar to our 2nd business district in Metro Manila, Ortigas Center. I've met a South African of Dutch descent many years back and if I ever visit this city I'll get in touch with him.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)




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## RGV (Apr 27, 2006)

Always wanted to visit South Africa. Your photos make me want to visit that much more.

Glad to hear that there's some redevelopment and new development in the CBD.

Thx for the tour.


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## Rem (Feb 26, 2006)

oliver999 said:


> another hidden great city in the world.


Johannesburg wasn't really a hidden city  Au contraire.


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## skyscraper_1 (May 30, 2004)

Very modern! Nice


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

driving in Johannesburg


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## ChapinUrbano (Oct 5, 2005)

Excellent pictures of this amazing city, the skyline and density are very nice.


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## bziherl (Nov 2, 2003)

kulani said:


> driving in Johannesburg


Is there someone walking on the street????  Under the blue sign...


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## koogle (Jan 24, 2007)

never expected Johannesburg would be so dense...
thanks for sharing


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

bziherl said:


> Is there someone walking on the street????  Under the blue sign...


That is a street hawker who uses the short period when traffic lights are red, to sell newspapers, sodas, hand out brochures to cars that are passing by. Some also wash your windscreen as well (sometimes without your approval which can be annoying). This picture below you can see a street hawker with a bunch of newspapers, he will step off the road once the traffic lights turn green.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

more Joburg pictures, its affectionately known as Joburg, Jozi or Egoli (which is zulu for the place of gold)



















never realised that some of the gas stations have their roof-tops partially closed (since we normally can't see)










trains at park station 










more street level pictures





































Sorry these pictures i took in my friend's car. Yes his car's windscreen is
broken and i took them while sitting on the passenger's side. LOL


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Metro Police's tow truck, waiting to pick up some traffic offenders. This is around the mini-bus taxi rank ( a common public transport system common in Africa). These traffic drivers constantly disobey traffic rules and regulations so you will understand why the tow truck is on standby.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

and these mini-bus taxis look like this:-










police car heading towards Nelson Mandela bridge


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Sandton (Northern Johannesburg) has became the new financial centre of the city after most banks & the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) moved their offices north of the city to flee the decline of the CBD that occured in the early 1990's. Ironically the Johannesburg CBD is now again enjoying renewed interest with more and more projects being announced in the CBD. However Sandton will likely still remain the financial centre of the city and continue to grow on its own. 




















Sandton city, one of the biggest and exclusive shopping malls in Sandton. In the background Gautrain construction (a new $3.8 billion High Speed Rail system under construction in Johannesburg)




























Johannesburg Stock Exchange building


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

a picture of Joburg from the Newtown precinct (a re-development targeted at cultural and night life activities)


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

i love these shots of down town joburg


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

new construction in Sandton










At night


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

and this is Rosebank, another commercial centre in Northern Johannesburg


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Soweto (for South Western Township)

A township created to house migrant labourers who worked the Johannesburg's bustling mining sector back in 1954. The township is about 20 minutes drive from the Johannesburg CBD and its in the South Western part of the City. It since played a major role in the fight against apartheid including the uprisings of 1976. Today its a township of more than 1 million people who continue to commute to the city to work in various industries over and above the mining sector. 

Soweto today is a tourist attraction and new developments are breaking ground for hotels and malls which are hoping to take advantage of its rich history and tourism potential. There is also a realization that more and more emerging black middle class who have a significant collective buying power choose not to migrate to the leafy surburbs of Sandton and Midrand but rather keep their roots (or "stay ko kasi", as eloquently expressed in the local dialect)


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Upper class in Soweto


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Winnie Mandela's house in Soweto


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

this is how the most common houses look like in Soweto.


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## coolink (Apr 20, 2005)

Johannesburg is another name for Capetown or another city? the name sounds so nice and sexy


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

bang said:


> Johannesburg is another name for Capetown or another city? the name sounds so nice and sexy


Quick answer is NO, Cape Town is at the southern most tip of South Africa on the coastal area where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic Ocean, while Johannesburg is an inland city in South Africa. Below is some history of the two cities:-

Johannesburg, also known as eGoli (place of gold), is the largest and most populous city in South Africa founded in 1886. The city is affectionately known as "Jo'burg", "Jozi" and "JHB" by South Africans. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng Province, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and fourth largest economy in Sub-Sahara Africa. The city is one of the 40 largest metropolitan areas in the world, and Africa's only officially designated global city (classified as a gamma world city). Johannesburg is the site of a large-scale gold and diamond trade due to its location on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand range of hills.

Cape Town (Afrikaans: Kaapstad /ˈkɑːpstɑt/; Xhosa: iKapa) is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the City of Cape Town. It is the provincial capital of the Western Cape, as well as the legislative capital of South Africa, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located. Cape Town is famous for its harbour as well as its natural setting in the Cape floral kingdom, including such well-known landmarks as Table Mountain and Cape Point. Often regarded as one of the world's most beautiful cities because of its geography, Cape Town is the most popular South African destination for tourism.


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## Gag Halfrunt (Jun 25, 2006)

Interesting photos. As well as putting trees and shrubs on the pavements (sidewalks), the film crew have brought in cars with German number plates and directed them to drive on the right hand side of the road (South Africa drives on the left). South Africa is a popular location for European television commercials (and, to a lesser extent, films and television series), because production costs are lower and the seasons are reversed (i.e. you can shoot summer scenes while it's winter back home).

*kulani*, do you know what this crew was filming?



kulani said:


> i love these shots of down town joburg


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

public transport in Soweto


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

It was an advert, but i am not sure for what company.


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## Gag Halfrunt (Jun 25, 2006)

kulani said:


> It was an advert, but i am not sure for what company.


Thanks.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

advertising craze in Sandton, Johannesburg


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Sandton City, Johannesburg

4 years ago it looked like this










a year ago, the building under construction is now 1 year old and a dozen other buildings have popped up. The roof-top parking belongs to the Sandton City shopping mall, one of the largest and trendiest shopping malls in SA with about 600 shops.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

aerial pictures of Sandton City today, a few more Skyscrapers and buildings getting a make-up


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Fashion TV cafe opened its first presence in South Africa in Q1 2006


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Sandton city shopping mall roof-top parking at night


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)




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## ilcapo (Jan 5, 2007)

Is there any large groups of black people living in the cbd of joburg?


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Joburg is now largely occupied by black people, most of the white population migrated to the North of Joburg to places such as Sandton. However today there is reverse migration back into the Joburg CBD largely driven by the city's regeneration efforts which seeks to bring the CBD back to life after the decline that occured in the early 1990s. So in a way a new South African rainbow city with people of all races is emerging epitomizing the new genre of South Africans.


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## Mr_kiwi_fruit (Feb 3, 2007)

An interesting collection of images from numerous sources, well chosen angles for its intended purpose, and vastly different time frames lends itself to a valiant attempt at portraying hell as heaven. 

Perhaps a few pictures at street level showing the wide-eyed shell shocked residents of JHB driving madly through red robots so as not to be hi-jacked or harrassed by a swarm of hawkers all selling the same thing, may be in order here to bring the images you portray into some degree of balance.

Not to mention the fact that if you took the time to get out of the rapidly moving car with broken windscreen you were taking some of these photographs from and lowered your lens, you could showcase the barrage of barbed wire, metal shutters, electric fences and metal pallisade fences and the like that are so necessary in order attempt to feel safe in a city that has no politcal will to either protect its citizens or give them a better life at all!


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## thryve (Mar 5, 2005)

^^ Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Or did you just read some old articles about Johannesburg and regurgitate them for us... How rude to talk about someone's pride and joy like that...

And just so you know, we could've really put a cherry on top if we wanted. This thread doesn't hide a whole lot that I would have been inclined to hide had it been my thread.


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## Mr_kiwi_fruit (Feb 3, 2007)

thryve said:


> How rude to talk about someone's pride and joy like that...
> 
> And just so you know, we could've really put a cherry on top if we wanted. This thread doesn't hide a whole lot that I would have been inclined to hide had it been my thread.



Thryve since when is it rude to describe reality?? You would have hidden a lot !!- well my friend the thread already has hidden so much more than you could ever imagine. - take a walk around and open your eyes!


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## -Corey- (Jul 8, 2005)

WOw.. Is that really South Africa? it looks like an american city.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

The tower can also be seen from this picture on the far right, just behind the mountains. This is the view of Johannesburg when driving in the R24 from the OR Tambo International Airport


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Carlton Centre, is considered one of the tallest buildings in Johannesburg with 50 stories. At 223 metres (731 feet), it is the tallest building in Africa and about half the height of the Sears Tower in Chicago.

The building was officially opened in 1973, around the same time as the Sears Tower and some two years after the opening of the World Trade Center. Its construction gave further impetus to the nickname that was given to Johannesburg: "the New York of Africa."


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Fairlawns Hotel


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Perhaps the best shot i have of the city from the south bound highways, looks like the advertising industry has taken renewed interest in putting their wares on the rooftops of most skyscrapers in the city (i see a few like Vodacom, Visa, Coca-cola, FNB, MTN, Cell-C etc)


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

On top of Constitution Hill, the site where the Constitution Court is. Ironically
this site housed a jail that hosted most of the freedom fighters who were detained for fighting apartheid.


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## Gag Halfrunt (Jun 25, 2006)

kulani said:


> On top of Constition Hill, the site where the Constitution Court is. Ironically this site housed a jail that hosted most of the freedom fighters who were detained for fighting apartheid.


Surely the choice of site is not so much ironic as deliberate.


> In 1995, the justices of the newly-established Constitutional Court looked at a number of permanent sites suggested by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Council for the new Constitutional Court building. They chose the Old Fort Prison Complex, commonly known as Number Four, because of its historical and symbolic importance.
> 
> Justice Albie Sachs of the Constitutional Court wrote in the University of Chicago Law Review of Spring 2000 that retaining the old prison structures right next to the new Constitutional Court building symbolised “not only the never-again principle, but also the theme of survival, of hope, of the triumph of the courage and humanity over despair and cruelty”.


(Constitution Hill official website)


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## ^Anton^ (Jan 1, 2007)

Great collection of pics kulani, thanks for sharing! I always thought this city has such a great potential... do you live there man? are things getting better with the measures taken against crime and the new developments and re-developments?

I also wanted to comment on something someone said before, it is true that many commercials we have in Europe are shot in South Africa, I've noticed images of Cape Town in a good number of commercials.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

^Anton^ said:


> Great collection of pics kulani, thanks for sharing! I always thought this city has such a great potential... do you live there man? are things getting better with the measures taken against crime and the new developments and re-developments?
> 
> I also wanted to comment on something someone said before, it is true that many commercials we have in Europe are shot in South Africa, I've noticed images of Cape Town in a good number of commercials.


Yes, i live in Johannesburg. the city is enjoying renewed interest. lots of re-development. nothing much by way of new developments in the CBD except for the Gautrain's park city's station (the $3.5 billion High Speed Rail system being developed in SA). The rest are mere re-development of existing buildings that were deserted. But its great to see all these hotels and apartments returning to the joburg CBD! There is even some new nightclubs and restaurants opening in the South West Precinct and Newtown. The Anglo-Gold Ashanti new head-office is another interesting development that is breathing new life into some old buildings in the CBD too. So overall things are looking up for Joburg CBD.


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## Mr_kiwi_fruit (Feb 3, 2007)

*Will the real Kulani please stand up.*



kulani said:


> Yes, i live in Johannesburg.


On March 16th 2007 at 10:49am on The Economy of SA forum you posted the following: (I quote you word for word)

"I am pretty much getting sick and tired of ex-South Africans' whose only contribution is to reduce SA into trash. Personally, i think they end up looking really stupid in front of everyone. SA has its problems and i think we are all trying our best to solve them, but there is no need to blow them out of proportion and sing with a trumpent why people should not go to SA. You have made your move, so get over it and stop all this noncence. One Mr Kiwi tried to do this on our Johannesburg, South Africa thread in CityScape and quickly found himself isolated. _I am a South African *and live in the US *and spends a lot of time in West Africa where we run several businesses _but i don't go out trashing my home country. I was a victim of crime too. I do warn visitors about the dangers of visiting SA but i don't discourage them from going there." 
"Last edited by kulani : March 16th, 2007 at 10:55 AM"

(Italics, colour, bold and underlining mine).



kulani said:


> I am pretty much getting sick and tired of ex-South Africans' whose only contribution is to reduce SA into trash. Personally, i think they end up looking really stupid in front of everyone. SA has its problems and i think we are all trying our best to solve them, but there is no need to blow them out of proportion and sing with a trumpent why people should not go to SA. You have made your move, so get over it and stop all this noncence. One Mr Kiwi tried to do this on our Johannesburg, South Africa thread in CityScape and quickly found himself isolated. I am a South African and live in the US and spends a lot of time in West Africa where we run several businesses but i don't go out trashing my home country. I was a victim of crime too. I do warn visitors about the dangers of visiting SA but i don't discourage them from going there.


So Kulani is it JHB you live in or the USA? It puts the integrity of your posts into some doubt when you make out you are walking the talk, but in fact according to you, you don't even live in the country!

Link to SA economy thread where this posting is quoted from
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=143175&page=18


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## HirakataShi (Feb 8, 2004)

^^ Why do you read the South Africa forums? I thought I you hated the country.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Mr_kiwi_fruit said:


> (Italics, colour, bold and underlining mine).
> 
> So Kulani is it JHB you live in or the USA? It puts the integrity of your posts into some doubt when you make out you are walking the talk, but in fact according to you, you don't even live in the country!
> 
> ...


I have lived in Cape Town between 1996 - 2000 and Johannesburg between 2002 - 2005. I am only living in NYC for the last year because my business partners are based there. The business comprises of mobile broadband networks in Southern Africa, West Africa and East Africa and is funded jointly from the US and SA. I have a house in Joburg and family there and i spend a lot of time there because that is what i call home (i was there in December 2006, 3 weeks ago and will be there during Easter, hence i know what is going on and i took some of the pictures that i post here). Will be moving back to Johannesburg permanently in January 2008. I hope that explains where my roots and heart lies.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

anyway, let me get on with the business of showing Joburg's skyline



















South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) tower in Auckland park


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## dallasburg (Mar 4, 2007)

*wellll...*



Dallas star said:


> Wow I have seen a few pics of Johannedburg and thought it was only a city w/ super high crime and car chases this totally changed my mind!!!!


although the architecture is cool, all the crime and all still exists. johannesburg cbd, where these photos were taken, is a highly dangerous area. i think its one of the worst crime districts in any major world city, but its easily the most dangerous in the joburg area.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

dallasburg said:


> although the architecture is cool, all the crime and all still exists. johannesburg cbd, where these photos were taken, is a highly dangerous area. i think its one of the worst crime districts in any major world city, but its easily the most dangerous in the joburg area.


Contrary to common belief, the crime incidence in the CBD has declined significantly especially after efforts by Business Against Crime and Metro police to install CCTV cameras and patrol the streets throughout the CBD. I have personally spent a lot of time in the Newtown, South West and Braamfontein precincts of the city and have never experienced any incidence of crime. My brother studies at the University of Witwatersrand which is in the Northern part of the city and he used to stay in Braamfontein with his flat mates for the last 4 years up until 2006. Back then when he first came to stay here things were rough, but today he is able to walk safely in most parts of the city as are his flat mates and most students at the University of Witwatersrand. Student safety in this part of the city is a better way to gage the safety of the CBD as there is over 10,000 students who live in the CBD and crime incidents usually affect them most and gets publicized more. Hillbrow and the eastern parts of the CBD continue to be unsafe though mostly at night.


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

low cost housing in the Johannesburg CBD










Construction work on one of Gautrain's stations (the $3.5 billion High Speed Rail system under construction in South Africa)










Grayston Drive leads into Sandton City from Johannesburg CBD via M1 highway (which passes under this bridge)










more construction works in Rosebank, another Gautrain station, Joburg skyline can be seen in the background


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Sun City is a luxury South African casino resort, situated in the North West Province. It is located about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, close to the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg National Park.

Sun City was developed by the hotel magnate Sol Kerzner as part of his Sun International group of properties. It was officially opened on 7 December 1979; at the time it was located in the bantustan of Bophuthatswana.


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## ScraperDude (Sep 15, 2002)

Joburg is hot man


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

Joburg, Doornfontein Metro station










building imploded to make way for Gautrain, a new $3.5 billion high speed transit system


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

a wider view of the CBD from the south


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## kulani (Oct 4, 2006)

More street level pictures


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