JT's Travel 411: Johannesburg, South Africa Edition
Y’all know I love me a good solo trip. I learn so much about myself when I travel solo. Navigating the world solo feels so liberating because I am forced to trust all my decisions. Last August, I took a solo trip to South Africa. I am a little delayed in sharing details of the journey but realizing the joy it brings me to look back on such a beautiful trip and write about it after the fact. I absolutely feel in love with Johannesburg.
I am always committed to sharing my journey because I remember being terrified to travel out of the country by myself. I hope sharing my journey will inspiring others to dream world-traveling dreams and go after it!
Through my doctoral program, I wrote a proposal to go to South Africa to explore their education system and the history of apartheid. It is really hard to describe my experience in Johannesburg (also called Jo-Burg) but I left enlightened, inspired, affirmed, and even more committed to freedom and liberation. Here are some details about my solo trip to Johannesburg.
How I got there…
I was coming from Egypt (check out my blog post about my time in Cairo!) so I took an Emirates flight from Cairo to Johannesburg. I now understand the hype around Emirates airlines. It was seriously the best flight experience I have ever had. I had a brief layover in Dubai. Just enough time to grab lunch. I used Google Flights to find my flight.
Where I stayed….
I stayed at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice at Melrose Arch. The hotel is a Marriott property. When solo traveling out of the country, I prefer hotels over Airbnbs. Staying at a hotel provides me support in navigating the city. If I had a question about a place to go and the best way means of transportation I could just go to the front desk. I loved this hotel. Every room had a picture of a famous musician outside the room. Every time I walked into my room I was greeted by Otis Redding! The hotel restaurant had an AH-mazing menu that included traditional African dishes.
This hotel is also in the middle of a shopping center so there were lots of restaurants within walking distance.
How I got around….
Johannesburg has Uber so getting around was super easy and inexpensive. I simply just requested an Uber in the app just like I would in the United States.
Where I played……
During my trip, I had the opportunity to speak to school leaders in South Africa and visit a school. It was equally important to me that I learned about the culture and history of South Africa. Here are a few places I visited and the experiences I had that provided such learning about the rich history and culture of Jo-Burg and South Africa.
Soweto Tour - During apartheid, the government created black townships to segregate Black communities. Soweto (which stands for South West Townships) became the largest Black township in South Africa. I had heard about Soweto prior to my trip and wanted to learn more about the community and its history. As I went on my learning journey, it was really important to me that I honored the culture and legacy of the people of Soweto. I deeply believe that communities should tell their own story, rather than outsiders constructive narratives about a community. This belief meant that if I engaged in any tours, they had to be led by someone from the Soweto community. Additionally, I wanted to ensure that any fee I paid would go to the community rather solely to an outside company. Consequently, I found this tour of Soweto on Airbnb experiences which was led by a man named Sipho who grow up in Soweto. Sipho was absolutely amazing. We started at the Hector Pieterson Museum which honors the life of Hector Pieterson, a 12-year-old boy who was killed by police during the Soweto Uprising in 1976. We then walked the same streets thousands of Soweto high school students marched in 1976 to protested the apartheid government. The event is now known as the Soweto Uprising and resulted in a massive act of police brutality. We visited Mandela’s House, Desmond Tutu’s home and ate an amazing BBQ lunch at a Soweto restaurant. It was an absolute 5-star experience!
Sarafina! - Sarafina is a historical musical that outlines the events of the Soweto Uprising and spotlights the courageous leadership of Soweto youth and educators. I had the opportunity to check out the musical at the Johannesburg Theatre. It was such a beautiful show!
Home of the Bean - I met some many wonderful people in Johannesburg, They introduced me to a neighborhood called Maboneng. Maboneng is a district home to many Black-owned businesses. In Maboneng, my new Jo-Burg friends introduced me to a Black-owned coffee shop called Home of the Bean. The owner Leroy was incredibly nice. I had a mango smooth made with all fresh fruit.
Pata Pata - Pata Pata is another Black-owned business in Johannesburg. A restaurant serving DELICIOUS African food and live music. I had the ribs and pap which was to die for!
Apartheid Museum - The Apartheid Museum is a treasure that tells the truth. I entered not know much about the realities of apartheid. I left informed, consumed in my thoughts, wrestling with so many questions and inspired by the legacy of Nelson Mandela. It is truly difficult to put into words the experience of the Apartheid Museum but it was a similar feeling I had visiting the Smithsonian African-American History Museum in Washington D.C. it is a must-see if you visit Jo-Burg.
Picture of me in Soweto.
Visiting Mandela’s House.
Quote outside of the Hector Pieterson Mueseum.
Sarafina billboard outside of Jo-Burg Theatre!
My delicious dinner at Pata Pata!
Entrance of the Apartheid Museum.