Joburg lures Durbanites
With nearly five million inhabitants from across the globe, Johannesburg continues to be a melting pot of culture, religion, food and music. Fondly known as the City of Gold, Jozi is Africa’s second-largest city, with worldclass attractions, sports facili
KNOWN as the economic powerhouse of South Africa, generating more than 17% of the country’s GDP, Johannesburg is said to be our wealthiest city and it’s where huge deals are made.
It’s a fast-paced business engine room and is the first stop for any business bigwig.
It’s no wonder it has the highest number of inter-provincial immigrants in the country, especially Indian South Africans.
According to Statistics South Africa, the number of Indian South Africans who moved away from KZN alone was 93 499. From that total, 83% of these individuals (77 372 of them) moved to Gauteng.
It is also one of the most popular destinations for Indian day travellers and overnight tourists, according to Stats SA’s acting deputy director-general of population and social statistics Gwen Lehloenya.
The city is a cultural hub, with 40 art galleries, as well as a host of cultural institutes, villages, centres and studios such as the Shova Lifestyle Origin, Market Photo Workshop, Goethe-Institute Johannesburg and ArtMatters-Zone, to name a few.
From shebeens to pubs and clubs, nightlife hotspots in the City of Gold have much to offer.
Johannesburg is also one of the premium shopping destinations, with the recently opened Mall of Africa – the largest retail development to be built in a single phase in southern Africa – situated in the hub of the city.
While Johannesburg is said to be more expensive than Cape Town and Durban in terms of consumer goods, its salaries are higher, resulting in residents with more purchasing power.
Multimillion-rand companies such as McDonald’s, Nokia and Coca-Cola have their South African head offices in the city.
It has all the major banks and Africa’s largest stock exchange – the Johannesburg Stock Exchange – in Sandton. It is considered the seat of the financial sector in South Africa.
International call centres, state-of-the-art technological equipment, a fast-paced perishable goods industry and excellent infrastructure also make it globally competitive.
The public relations and communications manager for Johannesburg Tourism, Laura Vercueil, said: “Residents and visitors to Johannesburg are spoilt for choice. The City of Gold is truly a city of wonder, potential and excellence. It’s an unforgettable mix of opportunity, promise, potential, vibrancy and cultural diversity, one of the world’s most interesting and exciting destinations.”
A recent survey by online research site Expat Arrivals revealed a list of pros and cons to moving to Johannesburg, showing that there are several compelling advantages to relocating.
One of the pros was the price of property, which might seem expensive at first, but value for money was always top priority.
Others are the range of activities, excellent shopping opportunities, world-class private security and the fact that business is always booming,
Some of the cons included high crime rates, including petty theft, hijackings, home invasions and robberies – and the most commonly known
of Johannesburg, the schlep long drive home.