JOHANNESBURG
This ‘Place of Gold’ as the Sotho word for Gauteng implies, harbours the gold fields of South Africa. These are just part of one of the largest industrial regions in the Southern Hemisphere. No-one could possibly have imagined the repercussions when an unemployed miner found a stone bearing traces of gold in 1886. This seemingly insignificant event led to the discovery of the world's richest natural treasure trove. People flocked to the area from all of ends of the world and also the open pastoral landscape re-structured almost overnight. Shantytowns sprang up and were rapidly transformed into modern concrete cities. Johannesburg became ‘The Gold Capital of the World’, and also the entire country was catapulted into an economic boom. Industrial development was restricted to certain areas to ensure city dwellers can always find rural places and leisure resorts to retreat to. Unfortunately, violent criminal activity is a serious problem in the Johannesburg area and visitors should listen cautiously to advice on which place to go.
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